Galliano’s latest Margiela show was a co-ed, high-tech vision of the future

This morning, at the Grand Palais in Paris, John Galliano presented his latest – and first ever co-ed – collection for Maison Margiela. The designer continued to riff on the existing codes of the house, while pushing ever-forward into the future. Here’s everything you need to know.

A NEW FRAGRANCE CAMPAIGN DEBUTED

Walking into the show space, one thing was impossible to ignore – 12 enormous projections showing a behind the scenes film for the new Mutiny fragrance, the first to be released under the complete creative control of John Galliano. The video featured its six campaign stars: actor Sasha Lane, models Molly Blair, Teddy Quinlivan and Hanne Gaby Odiele, and musicians Willow Smith and Princess Nokia.

THERE WERE SOME FAMILIAR FACES ON THE RUNWAY

As the lights came up, an electrifying remix of Gloria Jones’ track “Tainted Love” kicked in, as soundbites from the new Mutiny campaign played over the top. Opening the show was transgender model Finn Barrett, as Teddy, Hanne, Paul Hameline, and Dazed cover girls Shanelle Nyasaise, Hannah Motler, and Sara Grace Wallerstedt followed close behind.

IT FELT LIKE A TRULY GENDER NEUTRAL SHOW

John Galliano announced back in June that his next show would be co-ed, and this was the first time he showed menswear and womenswear together on the same catwalk. Boys made their way down the runway in deconstructed tailored coats with vinyl, cut-out dresses and pencil skirts underneath, while some of the girls wore mannish, silk-satin suits and ‘Bazooka Joe bubblegum pink’ trenches layered over diaphanous dresses and skinny vinyl trousers. All models wore patent boots or a chunky, metallic take on the classic Mary-Jane, with many carrying ladylike structured handbags and the Maison’s now-signature, pillowy-soft Grand Slam clutch.

IT WAS ALL PRETTY HIGH-TECH

While some models wore earphones for their turn on the runway, the iPhone ankle clamps and bags with inbuilt iPads from the Couture show back in July made another appearance too. That’s it guys, we really are wearing our tech now – *Sellotapes phone to leg*

JOHN GALLIANO WAS V ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE CO-ED CONCEPT

“It was very liberating, for sure,” said Galliano of working on this season’s collection in the latest instalment of his The Memory Of... podcast. “I’m not trying to make boys look like girls, or girls look like boys, that’s not my intention. But what I’m feeling from this new generation is that they’re questioning traditional values, and everything they stand for. That’s what’s happening and it’s greatly inspiring me.” He also went on to explain the collection in more detail, elaborating on the idea of the ‘digital nomads’ he has in mind when designing, and talking listeners through the duality of the pieces in the collection: “The skirt that, when pulled up onto the model’s shoulders, becomes a cape, and the overcoat cut with the memory of a smoking jacket.”

THE AFTER PARTY IS A COLLAB WITH DAZED BEAUTY

If you didn’t already know (seriously, where have you been?!) our pioneering new beauty platform launches today! Tonight, Dazed and Maison Margiela will host a rave to celebrate the launch of Mutiny: keep your eyes on Dazed Beauty’s IG to see what goes down.