Talk of Fashion Town: John Galliano

From: Godfrey Deeny

1. Galliano's Fine Show for Fall/Winter 2012 and...many people standing.

2. He was the main topic of conversation in the fashion world for the past two weeks: John Galliano. This time not for one of his brilliant fashion moments but more for a major personal derailment. Just type “I love Hitler’ on youtube and you can get the full story.
   
   Achtung attended the final Dior show in the Rodin Museum with John Galliano designs and also managed to wiggle into an overcrowded series of minis shows for the John Galliano label last Tuesday in a hotel particulier on Avenue Foche. We have decided to let the clothes talk for themselves and show some of Galliano’s brilliant takes for Fall/Winter 2012 as snapped by editor in chiefs Godfrey Deeny and Markus Ebner. As we exited the early evening show, we walked out behind the two most powerful fashion editors in the world, Grace Coddington, the creative director of American Vogue and Tonne Goodman, the magazine’s senior stylist. They were both close to tears and agreed that this possibly last Galliano show was without doubt one of his very best.
   
   Miuccia Prada, who started showing there when she moved her MiuMiu collection to Paris, first made the fancy hotel particulier on Avenue Foche popular for fashion events. Kris Van Assche also staged his debut presentation for Dior Homme in the mansion’s opulent salons. It seems whenever a house is in need of a super serious location it chooses to go to Paris most expensive street - Avenue Foche. There was always mayhem at any Galliano door, but this time even a huge retinue of bodyguards couldn’t keep the fashion punters at bay as they desperately sought to push in. Scores of major editors and buyers – everything from German Elle to Harvey Nichols in London - were forced to watch the show from the stairs – catching faint glimpses of what ultimately turned out to be sensitive and beautiful collection of clothes, referencing all John’s old favored icons –from Isadora Duncan to Miss Habersham.
   
   Even John Galliano president and the man who ultimately fired him at Dior, Sydney Toledano, worked an extra shift as bouncer at the door. Many powerful buyers and editors failed to find seats, the fashion editor of The Financial Times was forced to stand; the entire New York Times team walked out. However, those that stayed witnessed a brilliant collection for autumn 2011, the Galliano atelier and creative team at its best - bias-cut panache, wild color ideas, exotic peplums hems, sensitively naughty see-through and magnificent Stephen Jones hats.
   

3. Mayhem on the staircase at John Galliano's Fall/Winter Presentation

4. Décolleté wool boleros over goat hair volume skirts, the look dissected by silver gypsy chains, ‘30s Vionnet curvy coats with huge fox collars or a sumptuous hound’s-tooth jacket over a silk faille skirt, both with twisting bows all had that delicate femininity that was Galliano’s signature, a style one suspects we may never see again on a catwalk.
   
   But, just so it’s clear, here are Achtung favorites for the Dior succession.
   
   Markus Ebner puts his money on Marc Jacobs as he is known as a designer who bases all his collections on exquisite research and he knows fashion history and how to create a trend. His Louis Vuitton show was basically an application letter to Dior owner Bernard Arnault as he powerfully harnessed the theme of Fetish and turned it into fashion gold. To have access to the Dior archives and propel the brand into the future should be an ample next task for him.
   
   Godfrey Deeny on the other hand is betting on Hedi Slimane to come back to the house. He has the experience to work the shades of Dior gray and even after a less than amicable parting from Mr. Arnault in 2007, the thinking is that Hedi has eaten enough humble pie to come back and realize his dream of having women’s and men’s collection. We all remember the delight Slimane took in putting celebs like Madonna in his skinny tuxedos, which always infuriated John Galliano. Moreover, well informed sources inside LVMH have told our Irish editor that Slimane has held two meetings with Arnault since Dior was sucked into the Galliano vortex.
   
   Deeny and Ebner both agree that Israeli-born Alber Elbaz might be the most logical choice. He has the talent and imagination for this job, would clearly love another challenge and is also an influential designer for both women and men.
   
   That said, the favorite in Paris remains Riccardo Tisci. In a straw poll conducted by London’s Daily Telegraph of 20 major international editors his was the name that came up the most, closely followed by Haider Ackermann, Stefano Pilati and Olivier Theyskens.
   
   In the latest example of the planet’s ever increasing interest in fashion, London bookmaker Paddy Power has begun taking bets of Galliano’s replacement, and been issuing regular press releases with the changing odds. As of Monday afternoon, March 14, the Closing Odds were:
   8/11 Riccardo Tisci
   9/2 Alber Elbaz
   5/1 Roland Mouret
   6/1 Stefano Pilati
   6/1 Olivier Theyskens
   8/1 Nicolas Ghesquiere
   10/1 Haider Ackermann
   12/1 Phoebe Philo
   16/1 Hedi Slimane
   16/1 Giambattista Valli
   

5. High-fashion and so chic: John Galliano

6. Galliano typical silhouette and panache