The once-disgraced designer will take over as creative director of the Paris fashion house
John Galliano is set to make his couture comeback as creative director of Maison Martin Margiela, confirming rumours last week that the once-disgraced designer was headed to the Paris fashion house.
"Margiela is ready for a new charismatic creative soul,” said Renzo Rosso, president of OTB, which controls Margiela. “John Galliano is one of the greatest, undisputed talents of all time — a unique, exceptional couturier for a maison that always challenged and innovated the world of fashion. I look forward to his return to create that fashion dream that only he can create, and wish him to here find his new home."
It has been a long and slow process of rehabilitation for Galliano, who was fired from Christian Dior and his eponymous fashion house in 2011 following his anti-semitic outburst in a Paris bar. The British designer was subsequently found guilty of hate speech by a French court. He went to rehab and stayed out of the limelight, seeking to make amends for his remarks.
Last year, he took up a three-week residency with Oscar de la Renta. There was speculation that he might take over as creative director, though that was later nixed as Galliano reportedly wanted more money for a big design team. He also nabbed a role as consultant for Russian perfume brand L'Etoile.
Galliano will design for all Margiela lines, including couture and women's and men's ready-to-wear, WWD reports. His first collection for Margiela is expected to land in January for Paris Couture Week.
In anticipation of their SS15 show, the Maison collaborated with Dazed on a series of cryptic films. See them below: