John Galliano has learned to relax. In conversation with the Business of Fashion‘s Tim Blanks, the British designer confessed his new role at Maison Margiela has put him back in touch with the world — and himself. The designer cited his newfound love of Snapchat (thanks to the “Instagram babes” he has on staff) as evidence he’s happily immersed in 2016, and proudly declared “I can go home relatively early and actually think about what I’ve done.”
Galliano went on to detail the design process he’s laid out at Maison Margiela, which always begins with the Artisanal collection (a sort of couture line). The prêt-à-porter collection is designed next, taking aesthetic cues from the Artisanal line. “I’m not there just to curate Martin Margiela,” Galliano said on the topic, “I understand the psychology of Martin Margiela and use that for pushing things forward.”
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Reflecting on his work ethic today, the designer admitted: “I wanted to work more on my own terms. It’s not as bad as it used to be — that was exhausting.” At the peak of his career in the late 2000s, Galliano was creating 32 collections every year between Dior and his eponymous label.
The designer presented his first collection for Maison Margiela in March 2015, hailed by i-D as “the return of the king.” If the Business of Fashion discussion is anything to go by, that praise would likely make Galliano blush. “I’m not yet in my full stride in Maison Margiela,” he said, modestly. “But I’m more in the moment, doing the best that I can and leaving options open. It’s done with joy, it’s done with passion.”
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Text Isabelle Hellyer