A headline on the Galliano Gazette—the signature newspaper print the designer uses every season—read, "The Show Must Go On." That phrase might've been there for years, but this season, after the untimely loss of John Galliano's studio head, Steven Robinson, it jumped out with sharp relevance. Even though the collection wasn't presented as a show (unlike its grander cousin, Christian Dior resort, which did an American tour), it was business as usual at the showroom in Paris. The racks were packed with offerings, mostly waist-accented fifties-flavored dresses and soft summer stand-ins for suits with balloon-sleeved, frilled-peplum jackets. Blush-toned bustier dresses caught the spirit of couture's favorite palette, while georgette polka dots, anenome prints, and bias-cut frill and plissé pieces transmitted just enough Galliano flavor to serve as almost dateless wardrobe staples.
