John Galliano's Fall ready-to-wear collection will be remembered for "the characters" that variously stormed or slunk down the Grand Palais runway. The label may say "Maison Margiela," but they were distinctively a Galliano touch. Absent that gaggle of models with their Pat McGrath maquillage, the Resort clothes themselves had to do the talking. To study them in the brand's New York offices was to see the ways that Galliano has indeed absorbed the Margiela codes. Of course, they're distinctive enough in their own way; the brand has thrived for years in its post-Martin Margiela incarnation for that very reason.
A trench with an oversize belt had a nice swagger, with an elongated yet slouched-on fit that felt fresher than a pair of dégradé jacquard pantsuits. Knits were a highlight, from the ripped-hem ease of a pullover to the needle-punched cling of a tiny cardigan. And, no surprise, there were several winners among the evening looks, with the best of the bunch being a cocktail dress made from double-faced sequins that will have everybody at the party reaching out for a fondle.
But Galliano is too gifted a designer to act only as a conduit for ideas first aired by someone else a decade or more ago. What will make the Galliano era at this label truly interesting is if, when, and how he decides to inject something new into the Margiela formula. A lookbook that starred a male and female model in his women's clothes hinted that he has provocations of his own in mind for the future, although he's certainly not the first to dabble in gender-bending fashion imagery lately. Other than that, his second couture collection for the brand is in just over two weeks.
