Galliano at Margiela

January 3, 2015January 6, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

Guys, that’s happening. John Galliano is taking over Maison Martin Margiela, and presents his first Haute Couture collection this month. Firstly, this combination felt a bit awkward to everybody – Margiela was always known for “minimalism”. But that’s just a fashion stereotype. No. Maison Martin Margiela has never been a minimal label. It’s dramatic, bold, edgy, different. The fact that real Martin Margiela never gave any interview and he is totally anonymous up to today, doesn’t mean that the label is minimalistic. Just look at their past artisanal collections – they are full of couture embroideries, one-of-a-kind textiles (for example tapestry based on La Femme du Roi by Paul Gauguin (1896) or draping made from two hanging textile prints of Mira Lunar, designed by Verner Panton) and fantastic jewellery. Maison Martin Margiela also brought a lot of unexpected accessories to their ready-to-wear – transparent plexi clutches with artificial roses inside or the famous tabi boots, which look like a horse hoof.

I am writing about this, to prove you one thing – reflecting on John Galliano’s collections in the past for Dior, his style should be perfect for Maison Martin Margiela. The fact, that he got drunk and started to say cruel things about Jews in one of Parisian caffees few years ago made him lose his own namesake label and Dior. Everybody showed Galliano their back, and from the first place everybody fell in love with Raf Simons. But forgetting the political matter which was strongly emphasized by LVMH (nobody’s sure whever these guys simply didn’t frame John into this “scandal”. Maybe they simply wanted to get rid of him?)- fashion world felt dull after Galliano’s departure. And the word minimal really matches Raf Simons – yes, his dresses are up till now the most sleepy of all during Haute Couture week in Paris.

But now, Renzo Rosso group, which owns Margiela, took over John Galliano. And hopefully, the fashion world is going to cheer up again, with this man. While waiting to see Maison Martin Margiela Haute Couture SS15 by John Galliano in few days, have a look at he biggest Dior / Galliano couture moments and last season’s Margiela / Matthieu Blazy show.

HC: Red. Viktor & Rolf AW14

July 11, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Viktor & Rolf thought of something so clear for today’s celebrities- red carpets. For their third haute couture show, they changed the whole runway into an endless red carpet. And, amazingly, the clothes were also red… and were made out of carpets, mostly. If you are interested how to knot your red, bathroom rug around your body, here is your perfect guide. Should I write more?

HC: Masacarade. Maison Martin Margiela AW14

July 10, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

“It enriches, it dresses, it decorates” was the quote, as Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal once again sought out a vision of haute couture that is wholly idiosyncratic to the house. Having cherry-picked the finest textiles from 18th century French lampas silks to Japanese 50s silk bomber jackets, MMM lavished hours of embroidery and embellishment work on top so that you can’t distinguish what was found and what was created. Again, thing that were lost were again found, things old were new and thing ugly again were beautiful. Although, I must say, it all looked like a mascarade ball. And veils were all about faberge eggs, Kanye!

HC: Tout Arrive. Bouchra Jarrar AW14

July 10, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Bouchra Jarrar is called by many the quintessence of Parisian chic. And also, it’s said that her Perfecto trousers are the most comfortable ever. In fact she does couture, which in reality is ready-to-wear, but still, everybody call it haute couture. Well. For Fall, Jarrar presented Nicolas Ghesquiere like tailored jackets, trousers made out of four layers, sporty vests with hand-crafted detailings and oxford shoes made in collaboration with Christian Louboutin. The collection is seriously chic and sexy and classy- but I am afraid it’s not really couture, even if a lot of work was used to do this collection.

HC: Blend of Two. Chanel AW14

July 9, 2014July 9, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Like the dying embers of a baroque world, a gilded mirror hung in a modernist white space above a digitally-flamed fire, at the Chanel Haute Couture show yesterday in Paris. For this collection, Karl Lagerfeld thought of his vision of modernism. White neoprene gowns with baroque embroideries; curvilinear forms of a Le Corbusier building, the cloth moulded in an egg shape around the body, without any side seams; 21st Cinderella dresses; and a strange blend of the famous Paris-Edinburgh & Paris-Dubai collections Karl did earlier this year. The collection in my opinion is a bit normal. And somehow, I prefer couture on heels. Please, no more gladiator sandals! P.s. The last look was shown by Ashleigh Good, the seven month pregnant model. She wore a white cape with splendorous, gold, embroidered back. That moment was the most special in the whole collection.