Bill Gaytten’s John Galliano collections for men’s Fall and women’s Pre-Fall took a trek—or more like a taste—of Asia as their joined inspirations. “It’s really about surface decoration,” said the designer in Paris this morning. “Focusing on the finishes, the handiwork, and details, such as cheongsam ties or intricate jacquards.”
Between the men’s and the women’s, there was a lot of overlap, and much of it was wonderful. A carpet-like topcoat for the guys mirrored a robe-esque version for the girls (hers had tasseling near the hemline). Gaytten aimed, specifically, to invoke the Old Hollywood glamour of Anna May Wong (a very Galliano reference if ever one existed), Tibetan garment-making craftsmanship, and Japanese kimonos. One terrific copper dress had a kimono-like grace to its drape, but with a twisted fabric bunching at the stomach. “It’s called the loop of love,” Gaytten said, adding that it is an established Galliano motif. “I am actually not sure where that name came from!”
For the gents, a patterned formal coat stood out—it boasted geometric cyan and tangerine embroidery from the shoulder to the waistline. Likewise a jacquard denim jacket with finely threaded topstitching outlining the shapes of kites. Cobweb knit sweaters—also spun between the genders—were noteworthy, too.
In summation: Both collections were a confident, eclectic, offhanded statement in interpretive chic—rich with the languid tone of the label’s founder but tempered with Gaytten’s eye for salable wanderlust.
