If Bill Gaytten has one of the toughest jobs in fashion, that’s because it’s up to him to channel the vision of the label’s founder, whom he worked with for decades before John Galliano exited his own label in 2011. “I guess if you had to break it down, John was the romantic and I took care of the rock ’n’ roll side,” Gaytten mused during a recent showroom visit.
As the keeper of the flame, Gaytten now has the latitude to go with what he likes. For Resort, that means amping up the embellishments, such as blue roaring tiger embroidery on a jacket, a Marie Antoinette portrait on a T-shirt, and pink lotus flowers on jeans or on a trench with a subtle mother-of-pearl sheen. “I love doing the prints and embroidery,” Gaytten noted. “For me, it’s always been about the craftsmanship, and this season we’re having fun with the clashy thing. You can be outlandish when you’re young.” After a pause, he added, “But Keith Richards could wear some of this, too!”
For romantic types, there are sequins, embroidery, pretty dresses and embellished jackets; for the edgier gal, wild cat print jackets and studded pieces. After a short hiatus, the Galliano man is back with a tighter collection starring prints and a light camouflage motif as a foil for the lotus flowers. Overall, it might be a little bit loud—but it’s also a lot of fun.
