August 22, 2011 |
FROM THE VAULT (SUMMER 2011)
Who’d have thought that John Galliano’s spring/summer 2011 haute couture show for Dior would be his swan song? Yes, the autumn/winter 2011 show was also his, but without him there to oversee the final touches it wasn’t the same. Even if the circumstances of his leaving had been different, you’d still have sensed there was something missing. A sense of pizzazz. Pizzazz, however, was not missing from couture. The show harked back to his first love – illustration – inspired by René Gruau, and his work for Dior. The silhouettes were the house signature, the New Look of the 1940s and 1950s. All nipped-in waists and full skirts. Where Galliano came into his own was the textiles. The embroidery on the delicate tulles, the folds of the jackets were constructed in such a way as to create an almost-painterly effect on the fabric. The way the colours increased in density over the outfit, caught the light, created shadows, reflected the way Gruau drew. All the nuances of his work on paper had been, in a way, replicated by Galliano in fabric. It was couture at its most exceptional. A celebration of craftsmanship and detail. Where else do you see clothes that appear as though they have been painted rather than sewn? It takes a certain kind of creative genius to bring such a vision to life, make whims of the imagination real. And while, of course, Dior will continue to produce exquisitely crafted whims of fantasy – they have the collective talents of a dedicated atelier to render any dream real – the question is who will be the one to tell them what dream to create? Yes, there are many talented people out there, each with their own dream, who can easily take over the helm. The only thing is, John Galliano is the Mad Hatter of dream creation, one of the few couturiers who doesn’t compromise his otherworldly vision. He understands that couture is fantasy, total unabashed indulgence. We hope whoever takes over will only seek to build on his legacy. Strive to beat its over-the-topness, season after season.
by Natalie Dembinska
