Galliano’s Margiela Celebrating an exclusive in-store couture exhibition

Belgian designer Martin Margiela founded his eponymous, avant-garde brand in 1988, and the label quickly became a fashion favourite, known for deconstructed looks, upcycled garments and the founder’s anonymous identity. More than that, it inspired a cult following drawn to exquisite craftsmanship and the masterful manipulation of unusual materials from plastic to rope, with white as the main calling card. A decade ago, though, Margiela officially left the brand, and in 2014 John Galliano, one of fashion’s most distinctive personalities, took up the helm as Creative Director.

At first glance, you could be forgiven for seeing a stylistic contrast between the two designers. However, Galliano’s Margiela continues to draw on the brand’s DNA, creating cutting-edge designs and championing the signature deconstructed aesthetic that exposes seams and exceptional cutting. Product ranges continue to be assigned numbers, and models continue to hide their faces emphasising the clothing. Galliano uses a wide array of unusual materials, which he showcases in provocative runway shows in a mirror of Martin’s legendary events.

In Galliano’s own words in his recent “The Memory Of…” interview, he has stayed true to the house’s essence but has also “tried to lay down new codes”. His AW18 “Artisanal” couture collection showcases his own “exploration of glamour, the idea of proposing a new and nomadic glamour. I’ve tried to show that idea of nomadic through textiles, finishing, layering, being honest, revealing structures and padding, interlinings that normally you would cover… We’re all nomads today.”