Bill Gaytten indulged in some Anglophilia at his John Galliano show this evening. His was a gloss on the contradictions of British 20th-century style, rather than a straightforward homage to any particular era—there was, for instance, a hint of a country gentleman out for a shooting weekend in Gaytten’s checked tailoring, and meanwhile more than a hint of the punks who sneered at such men in his looks embellished with safety pins and studs.
Rave-era anoraks and dress-for-dinner frock-coats also got a look-in on the Galliano runway. But the standouts in this collection were indubitably Gaytten’s frothy dresses. These came in various romantic, barely there versions, some bedazzled in sequins, others paneled in lace, and still more boasting tiers of demure ruffles. The most eye-catching, though, were Gaytten’s polka-dot numbers—the graphic black-on-white pattern made for a nice counterpoint to the looks’ diaphanous cuts. They seemed well suited to some modern-day Lady Mary, of Downton fame—although, the Lady Marys of today would likely be inclined to throw Gaytten’s spongy dun-color parka on over that dress before heading out for the evening. British style is nothing if not eclectic. Gaytten captured that quality well.
