Galliano, John Charles

▪ 1997

      The arrival in October 1996 of maverick British fashion designer John Galliano as designer in chief at Christian Dior heralded a fresh start for the beleaguered reputation of haute couture. His appointment followed his 11-month stint at Givenchy, where he was the controversial choice to replace Hubert de Givenchy, the refined founder of the house. Galliano's first couture collection featured sumptuous bouffant ball gowns, bowed dresses, and belted suits. He confessed, however, that Dior's New Look—an ensemble that paired jackets with padded shoulders and ample, ankle-length skirts—was closer to his own aesthetic than were the conservative linear designs of Givenchy. Bernard Arnault, head of Louis Vuitton Möet Hennessy (LVMH), which owned both Givenchy and Christian Dior) hoped that the 36-year-old Galliano would attract a younger clientele, not just to couture but also to the seasonal ready-to-wear lines, produced by both houses.

      Galliano, the son of a Spanish plumber, was born on Nov. 28, 1960. At the age of six he moved with his family from Gibraltar to south London, where he was educated. At age 16 he left Wilson's Grammar School for Boys, where he was known as an undistinguished student, to study textile design at East London College. In 1980 he entered St. Martin's School of Art, London, where he became enamoured of historical costuming. His incredible 1984 French Revolution-inspired graduate collection, Les Incroyables, was purchased straight off the college's catwalk by Joan Burstein, owner of the exclusive London fashion boutique Browns. After graduating with first-class honours, Galliano set up a studio in a condemned and deserted warehouse in London's East End and established himself as the "boy wonder" of British fashion. He was crowned British Fashion Council Designer of the Year in 1987 and 1994, and in 1991 he made his Paris catwalk debut.

      Twice, however, Galliano's business went bankrupt. Then, in 1994, John A. Bult, a Swiss-born New York-based investment banker, rescued Galliano and set him up in an atelier near Place de la Bastille in Paris. Upon his appointment at Dior, LVMH bought Galliano's company from Bult. As designer in chief of two fashion houses, Galliano enjoyed an unrivaled position among British designers. In October 1995, for the third time and second consecutive year, he was named British Designer of the Year.

      (BRONWYN COSGRAVE)

* * *