Coat

John Galliano's grand historical visions have been an integral part of his work since his student days. This flamboyant coat illustrates Galliano’s early fascination with historical dress. It was part of his seminal 1984 Les Incroyables graduate collection at Central Saint Martins, which not only earned him a First Class Honours Degree, but also made such a strong impact in the industry that it became a turning point in fashion history. Provocative and trailblazing, the collection took the dandiacal dresscode of the aristocratic subculture of the French Directorate, "Les Incroyables" (1795–1799) as an inspiration, in a gesture which was both a historical tribute as well as a herald of the era of deconstruction in fashion. Made mostly from found furnishing fabrics embellished with DIY-dyeing processes, it linked the decadence of "Les Incroyables" with the rebellious and romantic, historicist spirit of the London club scene (the New Romantics) during the Thatcher era.