In Defense of John Galliano
by The Fashion Cult
Recently, I came across a blogger ridiculing John Galliano’s Spring ’08 Menswear collection. “Any person picked randomly off the streets could throw together a collection like this,” wrote one commenter. Naturally, I was AGHAST. As you may know, The Cult reveres Mr. Galliano’s contribution to fashion, so a defense of our reverence was immediately in order.
Certainly, I can see how fashion lovers of pedestrian tastes might find Galliano a bit inaccessible. He is among the designers that consistently achieve the reminder that fashion is so much more than mall culture and celebrity worship. That is, it can be. Like in any form of art, fashion can serve as a retrospective, a mirror, or a crystal ball for the world at large. Galliano’s Spring 2008 menswear collection seems to reflect the current climate of the world and even glance a ways into the future.
Shirtless, tanned, and slightly dirty, models wear fatigues and newsprint with scarves around their faces.
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Scarves move from the face to the head, looking very much like the traditional middle-eastern headdress. Note the cigars.
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Berets and shades. The obvious casting of the segment of the collection made it clear that the show meant to recall the Black Panthers. In this case, though, I think the focus is on the militial, not the racial, aspect of the story he is telling.
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And then the fringe. These are the ones that refuse to choose any side. Note the neon pink and the grafitti-clad limbs.
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Tags: john galliano, galliano, runway, mens spring 2008, designers, pop culture, war, art
I agree that these all point to miltia type theme with an anarchist/punk feel.
Most people that ‘throw shows together’ are rarely able to keep with the themes like this.
I feel that this set is in line with a global feeling of intensity.
Not all the world, but lots of us feel that there is a need for the people to be more active/aggresive against the way they are treated by others–governments, classes, religious sects…
Here we see the middle eastern element fighting for what they believe in, The Black panthers fighting to be left alone by the evil around them and the punk look, the overall counter culture–people who don’t want to get on the bandwagon and do what bandwagoners do.
There’s a madmax feel hinting the future and a paratrooper or two in there, some russian soilder looks and an overall infusion of desparation…..
I think his line up, while not the kindest to the eye, is very insightfull.
This is Galliano giving you the world news and I agree, this ever readyness to fight and die is where a lot of humans have been spending their time.
Damn, that shit was hot! And I was going to try to do the all black Black Panther look this fall. But I’m not sure I can pull off a beret. Shit, I can barely pull off my lone fedora.
Good for people to know.
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