Ensemble

Design House John Galliano
Designer John Galliano British

Not on view

John Galliano’s approach to historical dress and non-Western types of dress echoes the magpie approach of the nineteenth-century figure of the ragpicker who found beauty in urban detritus. The collection "Afghanistan repudiates Western ideals" was inspired by a 1920s Punch caricature of a furious Afghan native jumping on a Western bowler hat, and referred to the melting pot of Eastern (Hindu, Muslim) cultures Galliano was surrounded by in his studio in London’s East End. In a self-referential gesture, he revisited elements from his 1984 graduation show, such as hems buttoned up and down and outsized sleeves, and introduced muslins in saffron or dark reds, dyed “the colour of dried blood” and bold Madras stripes.

Ensemble, John Galliano (founded 1984), (a) wool, cotton, horn, (b) cotton, mother-of-pearl, (c) cotton, mother-of-pearl, (d) cotton, mother-of-pearl, British

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