John Galliano entered Maison Margiela under the cloak of controversy in 2014. A decade later, as the great British fashion designer today announces he is stepping down as Artistic Director from the Belgian-founded, Paris-based fashion house, the industry wonders: is his rehabilitation complete?
The 64-year old designer rose to global acclaim in the Nineties thanks to extraordinary collections at the helm of Givenchy, Dior as well as his own label, John Galliano, alongside creating timeless red carpet outfits for clients including Diana, Princess of Wales and Nicole Kidman but came crashing down to earth when footage of his drunken, anti-semitic tirades were leaked in 2010.
Fired from Dior and shunned from polite society, it has been the tireless work of a handful of fashion insiders — including Vogue’s Anna Wintour — that have helped him regain his footing. Recently, he has benefited from an influx of support. In 2023, he was the subject of Kevin Macdonald’s documentary High & Low – John Galliano, which saw the likes Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Charlize Theron come to his defense, while 2024 saw him dress key Met Gala attendees Kim Kardashian, Zendaya and Bad Bunny in Margiela designs.
“Forgiving myself was, for a while, the hardest act. I felt guilty that my behavior perpetuated the stereotype that creativity had to be fueled by drink and drugs,” Galliano said in a statement released on his Instagram today. “Today is the day I say Goodbye to Maison Margiela. My heart overflows with joyous gratitude, and my soul smiles. For I am 14 years old today — 14 years sober,” his letter read, and which was signed “Johnny G.”
He took the opportunity to thank Renzo Rosso, president of OTB Group which owns Margiela as well as Diesel, Marni, Viktor & Rolf and Jil Sander, for “the goodness and kindness he showed me 10 years ago.”
“The greatest, most precious gift he gave me was the opportunity to once again find my creative voice when I had become voiceless. My wings mended, and I better understood the all-consuming act of creativity,” Galliano said.
With the help of emboldened text and block capital letters, Galliano also blasted cancel culture. “The fashion industry… is at its best: when we collectively support each other, not judge. When we accept, forgive, and help one another see the error of our ways… NOT when we cancel each other out.”
Galliano’s tenure at Margiela, a house which was founded in anonymity by designer Martin Margiela in 1988 and gained cult status thanks to his split-toe Tabi boots and subtle, four stitch logo, will be defined by the staggering craftsmanship the Artisanal line became synonymous with, all delivered without the showmanship.
During his Dior heyday, the designer would take bows dressed as astronauts, pirates, even Napoleon — with a gym-buffed body and often gaunt face. At Margiela, on the contrary, he remained coy and hidden after shows which often took place in the Maison’s Paris headquarters, or were presented using film or theatre as opposed to bells-and-whistles runway shows.
An exception to the rule came in January this year, for his final runway collection for the house, which took place under Paris’ Pont Alexandre III bridge, was inspired by seedy characters of the French capital’s underbelly photographed by Brassaï, saw Kim Kardashian sit front row as Gwendoline Christie walked, and was widely commended as one of the most captivating of fashion moments in recent history.
Whispers are now ablaze as to which top brand Galliano might go next: Loewe, Fendi, Dior? “The rumors…,” he addressed, in his statement. “Everyone wants to know, and everyone wants to dream. When the time is right, all will be revealed.”
Read John Galliano’s full statement below:
“Today is the day I say Goodbye to Maison Margiela.
My heart overflows with joyous gratitude, and my soul smiles.
For I am 14 years old today—14 years sober.
Living a life better than I ever dreamt possible, and this is thanks to two people-two truly beautiful people whom I both love and cherish. They, however, are too humble to allow me to mention their names here. We know who they are, and I will be forever indebted to them, forever grateful.
The rumors... Everyone wants to know, and everyone wants to dream.
When the time is right, all will be revealed. For now, I take this time to express my immense gratitude. I continue to atone, and I will never stop dreaming.
I, too, need to dream.
At a Halloween family gathering in Tokyo, all in festive make-up under the silent, slow-motion gaze of the full moon, Renzo engaged in a dialogue about legacy. He told me his legacy would be his children and his work.
This conversation prompted an unexpected question from him about my thoughts on John Galliano. I explained that I had mourned the loss of JG and my previous identity, but I am much happier with the new version of JG. I strive daily to be a better version of this person.
I then felt emboldened and challenged him. I told him that, from my perspective, a part of his legacy would be the goodness and kindness he showed me 10 years ago.
The greatest, most precious gift he gave me was the opportunity to once again find my creative voice when I had become voiceless. My wings mended, and I better understood the all-consuming act of creativity.
My gratitude for the sentiment "Only the Brave," tattooed on him, runs deep. To have this bled onto your skin must mean you truly believe in this motto.
He can be very persuasive — his positivity infectious.
In inviting me to assume the position of Artistic Director in the house that Martin built, and further enabling Martin and me to partake in a "cuppa tea" together. This gentleman tipped the balance for me. He made me feel I could do the job, even when I doubted I was the right person for it or dared to presume I was. Martin's joy and his long-hidden wish that a couturier would assume this role, came along with his kind advice: "Take what you will from the DNA of the House, protect yourself, and make it your own... you know how to."
In front of this gentleman, I had an epiphany: I was ready.
I would only surround myself with like-minded people, strong people who shared the same work ethic. I informed Renzo I would take him up on his kind offer, but my recovery would have to come first-and it did. Ten years later, I am forever grateful for this safe space to create and build a new family that supports me with courage and dignity. Although little had changed in the industry then, my perspective on it has radically shifted. I begin to see changes all around me: compassion and empathy.
Gratitude to my fashion family for this life-saving creative moment and the safe place we have built together. My teams, whose support has been tender and courageous, have walked with me along this narrow pathway to the here and now.
Human beings at their best are resilient, creative, and inventive when unafraid of being themselves.
I'll readily admit I'm demanding and difficult to run with when challenged, but look at what we have built.
This is when the family — the fashion industry — is at its best: when we collectively support each other, not judge. When we accept, forgive, and help one another see the error of our ways. Being brave enough to unlearn, to re-educate ourselves from the past — for it is societally learnt — to share, empathize, and practice compassion.
A second chance. With childlike eyes and forgotten innocence, we make amends, believing in ourselves — for God is in all of us. NOT when we cancel each other out.
This precious gift I speak of, supported by cherished and loved ones, allows me to see the world afresh through a different lens. It enables me to share this experience with the young adults joining us, reinforcing a belief in oneself.
You can be whoever you want to be — in joy. You do matter, and we do care.
Forgiving myself was, for a while, the hardest act. I felt guilty that my behavior perpetuated the stereotype that creativity had to be fueled by drink and drugs. That old rock-and-roll attitude. SO WRONG. With my teams, we've proven that creativity is never out of fashion. It is not fueled by those destructive forces but by a creative community that cares and considers design.
Through the films we've produced and the resulting platforms created, I am able to stay in touch with my digital nomads, connecting and sharing experiences without fear. "Mutiny," the film, culminated my work and verbalized our sociopolitical messaging-our beliefs that trans rights, queer rights, gender equality in the workplace, anti-racism, and mental health advocacy had to be at the center. It was a manifesto for this brave new generation — a testament to the courage to stand up proudly and fearlessly for what you believe in.
I celebrate the genderless collections we now produce, reinforced by how they are bought and supported. My co-ed collections, whether Artisanal or RTW, represent diversity and individuality.
I celebrate the magical relationships with my muses, who challenge me to create safe places where we can dream and make believe. You inspire everything I do. You are my life. All my muses have battled society's norms and restrictions on gender and body identity. I rejoice in self-expression and freedom.
Finally, I want to celebrate the joy I found in the various ways we communicated creatively and worked with different artistic cultures, theater, cinema, digital, embracing all these cultures to celebrate fashion.
To my atelier, my "A" team — devout in belief and dedicated to style and technique — thank you. We relish in the importance of slow and ethical fashion and the influence it has on all our collections, the pyramidical way of working. Your outstanding knowledge and ability to communicate a line with feeling and emotion is the heart of all creation. Together, we are driven by beauty-the quest for balance, construction, and the lightness of a feather.
Thank you.
Johnny G.”
