After designer John Galliano spent three months undergoing equine therapy at a ranch in Arizona
Wednesday morning in Paris and we’re up bright and early for the penultimate AW19 Haute Couture show: Maison Margiela. What does John Galliano have in store for us come next season? Here’s everything you need to know.
THERE WAS A COLLABORATION WITH KATERINA JEBB
The AW19 Artisanal show took place back at Margiela HQ, where the mirrored runway from SS19 was back (not back, however, was any form of seating, meaning attendees including Teddy Quinlivan and Jazelle stood for this particular presentation). On the walls were a series of projections which zoned in on various parts of the body, as shot by British-born, LA-based artist, photographer, and filmmaker Katerina Jebb.
MAISON MARGIELA HAS ENTERED A CHAPTER OF DECAY
Galliano has been exploring decadence, overconsumption, the fetishistic nature of consumerism, and the oversaturation of information we’re bombarded with on a daily basis for a while, and now we’ve entered the early stages of decay as society ‘breaks down’. The designer explained on his seasonal The Memory Of… podcast that this new mood can be seen in the way garments have been cut: in an anarchic and impulsive way. So far, so Galliano.
THE COLLECTION WAS AN ODE TO A HORSE CALLED BLUE
In an attempt to disconnect with the digitally dominated world we live in and reconnect with himself earlier this year Galliano head to the Arizona desert to spend three months undergoing equine therapy. According to the designer, it was a way to cut out the noise of his head and his heart and instead rely on his instinct: “I just didn’t know how to do it any more because I was so overwhelmed by information.” There, he met a ‘wonderful horse called Blue’, and explained that the AW19 offering was an ode to him.
...WHOSE INFLUENCE COULD BE SEEN IN THE GARMENTS THEMSELVES
The models made their way out onto the runway wearing voluminous zoot-suit-esque trousers, torn organza sheaths, draped, pleated ‘abstract’ bustiers, and buttoned-up Equestrian-style tweed jackets, some of which featured unique, distorted prints. According to Galliano, this season he’d been imagining his muse standing in front of a projection and translated that into the collection’s motifs. In-keeping with his experience at the Arizona ranch, images of horses were abstracted and applied to a number of looks, while Blue seemingly inspired some of the jewellery too, with a number of models wearing earrings and accessories made using toy horses: yee-haw.
THERE WAS A NEW BAG
…’a little pochette we’ve called the Snatched’ explained Galliano. With a fold-over flap and finished with raw edges and a strap to slip your hand through, the style was named for the action needed to grip it, apparently. Also on the line-up when it came to accessories were see-through, seemingly waterproof headscarves (all eyes on A$AP), jaunty Equestrian and even American-military style hats, sturdy boots strung round the neck, and a 2019 iteration of Margiela’s famous bulbous, stiletto-heeled shoes, which came in red, patent black, and painted white, as worn with stockings and suspenders by boys, girls, and gender neutral models alike.