When John Galliano was named as the new creative director of Maison Martin Margiela, some wondered just how the flamboyant ex-Dior designer would jibe with the notoriously low-key and mysterious Paris fashion house.
But even if Galliano's appointment seems against type, diehard fans can rest easy in knowing that the house's elusive founder has given his full approval to its new creative director. According to WWD, Martin Margiela has "let it be known" that he is happy with the selection.
Margiela was the one who introduced the policy of anonymity, in which all employees must wear identical white lab coats. Even though he departed the label in 2009, his successors – including Marios Schwab and Matthieu Blazy – were never officially named by the house. But the Belgian designer is reportedly keen on seeing a "leader" to helm his eponymous label.
Galliano was known for taking his bow in elaborate costumes, whether it was in full military garb as Napoleon Bonaparte or a pigtailed sailor. But he rather sweetly seems to have taken the Margiela ethos to heart: he has reportedly been seen at the Margiela headquarters wearing the house's standard lab coat.
You'll have to wait till January to see Galliano's designs for Margiela will look like; his first collection debuts at Paris Couture Week. But seeing as he's taking charge of all Margiela lines, including women's and men's ready-to-wear, we're sure the couture show will be just the first of an expanding vision.
In anticipation of their SS15 show, the Maison collaborated with Dazed on a series of cryptic films. See one below:
