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:
