1 minute read
THE MAKING OF THE BLITZ KID
You’d think after such success, life would be made for you. Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple in fashion, and more often than not, you have to succumb to the difficult times before seeing the light- or the big bucks shall we say! John Galliano experienced just that.
After the hype of his graduate collection, Galliano scraped together the funds to create smaller collections, with the same visionary concepts and strong dedication he crafted within university; however, he failed to receive the financial backing necessary for his brand to continue.
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After moving to Paris, Galliano sourced help from Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley who savoured his label by finding a location at Sao Schlumberger’s Hotel Particulier for his AW94 show. With models including Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Kate Moss, walking the runway for free and inhabiting the backing of numerous creatives, John Galliano pulled off a career-making collection, “a fashion moment” (Talley, n.d) many would recall, which unified all his well acknowledged themes of theatre, history, and storytelling.
Following on from his last season, John Galliano continued his story of
Princess Lucretia and combined Japonisme and Chinoiserie to arrange a spectacular mise-en-scene of faded grandeur and aching romanticism (Ahmed, 2016) within a poeticlooking salon presentation. I adore how Galliano has intertwined the arts and fashion here, especially from a diverse culture, thus welcoming an oriental twist. For me fashion should be wholly inclusive, and by including such themes, it shows a great appreciation for a variant of cultures and their beauty.
The AW94 collection heightened my understanding of how influential historical periods are, and how they bring such fantastical elements to the depth of a narrative.
I feel I resonate with this on a whole other level as research and history were some of my favourite areas in school. I have always enjoyed learning and seeing how designers source their inspiration, makes me want to do the same within my concept, and look towards more historical features which correlate with my FMP themes.
