Perhaps it was an ego trip for Mr Galliano, who we all know likes himself a great deal more than the rest of the world does. And from where i was sitting it was all Ooh la la, but then, i wonder what the house of dior thinks? Apparently they loved it. They loved the fake blood, the crucifixes, the slashed clothes and the strobe lighting in the perspex red set.
Oh yeah, did i mention that the theme was Revolutionary France? And that the chokers on the model bore the date 1789, the day of the revolution's beginning? Well they did. And they were covered in blood, with teased hair a la Marie Antoinette. Galliano stated that his inspiration was not so much revolution, but rather the throb and vibe of revolutionary spirit that injects a kind of toughness and vitality into the blood of those who believe in it. As a consequence, the clothes were amazingly vigorous if clothes can at all be vigorous, and demanding of our attention. There were thigh high boots, traditional petticoats and dresses slashed right up to expose the crotch, long billowing cloaks and fabrics like satin and chiffon.
Style.com mused that it was more a statement about personal creativity and the autonomy of the individual mixed with the libertine of the 18th century. For me it was more a bold statement about the fire of being a rebel, soemthing that we can all share.
Were the clothes wearable? of course not, when have you ever seen a 20 something starlet in a slashed corset dress on the runway. As Daphne Guinness believes, the clothes on the runway are not always what ends up in the closets of couture-wearers. THe sillhouettes are often tweaked, the lines changed, the ideas become less harsh and out there and more suited to the personal style of those who buy them. So in a way, i suppose the clothes were wearable, in that some of the dresses could be changed to be made a little more 'normal.' But would you want to do that to a collection that relied so heavily upon the visual?
I don't love Galliano, but i don't hate him. I aplaud him and respect him for his efforts at Gucci and his ability, like Lacroix, to put on a spectacle and show every time his models hit the runway. I wouldn't want to wear any of these, but then, is that really the point? I think the point with Galliano, and the reason why i like this collection so much, is the statement it makes about history, feeling, life and clothes.
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