John Charles Galliano is a British fashion designer and the creative director of Maison Margiela in Paris. He is a well-known name in the fashion world, having served as the head designer of the French fashion houses Givenchy and Christian Dior at various stages in his career. He was born in Gibraltar and immigrated to England with his family when he was a child. He first struggled to blend in with children in his new nation, yet he finally adjusted well. With an early interest in the arts, he attended Saint Martin’s School of Art and graduated with a degree in Fashion Design. He gained his first taste of success shortly after graduating, and it wasn’t long before he launched his own fashion business. However, he lacked the intelligence and ability necessary to handle his business efficiently and was soon bankrupt. Determined to resurrect his career, he relocated to Paris in quest of financial support, which he ultimately obtained. His career took off when he was appointed designer at Givenchy and later Dior. His career experienced a significant setback in 2011 as a result of his anti-Semitic comments, albeit he subsequently recovered.
Childhood & Adolescence
John Charles Galliano was born in Gibraltar on 28 November 1960 to a Gibraltarian father, Juan Galliano, and a Spanish mother, Anita. He is the brother of two sisters.
When John was six years old, his family relocated to England. His mother, a flamenco instructor, always dressed him impeccably, even while running errands. He was occasionally mocked for his attire, but his mother’s practice also instilled in him a sense of elegance and fashion.
In 1980, he enrolled in Saint Martin’s School of Art after attending St. Anthony’s School and Wilson’s Grammar School in London. He earned a first-class honors degree in Fashion Design in 1984. His graduating collection, dubbed Les Incroyables, was well-received and was purchased by the proprietor of an exclusive London fashion boutique.
John Galliano’s Career
With the proceeds from the sale of his graduation collection, he established a studio in an East End warehouse and launched his own fashion line in cooperation with Amanda Harlech, a stylist for Harpers and Queen at the time, and Stephen Jones, a milliner.
At first, he achieved significant success, winning the 1987 British Fashion Council Designer of the Year award. John Galliano, on the other hand, lacked financial ability, which, along with his expensive lifestyle and insatiable appetite for nightlife, contributed to his bankruptcy.
He relocated to Paris in quest of financial backing in order to revitalize his faltering career. He was able to secure the help of Moroccan designer Faycal Amor, headquartered in Paris, and held his first show in 1989 as part of Paris Fashion Week with his patronage. He made his Paris runway debut in 1991 and was voted British Fashion Council Designer of the Year for the second time in 1994.
During this time period, he was able to build relationships with several significant figures, including Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of ‘Vogue’ in the United States, and André Leon Talley, then European Correspondent for ‘Vanity Fair’. He met Portuguese socialite and fashion patron Sao Schlumberger through their assistance, who assisted him in obtaining financial backing.
He quickly re-established himself as a notable fashion designer, attracting the attention of Bernard Arnault, the owner of luxury goods company Louis Vuitton Möet Hennessy (LVMH). Galliano became the first British designer to manage a French haute couture label when Arnault appointed him designer of Givenchy in 1995.
Galliano was hired by LVMH in October 1996 to replace Italian designer Gianfranco Ferré at Christian Dior. He was highly regarded at Dior for both his Haute Couture and ready-to-wear collections. His career surged in the years that followed, and he quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after names in the international fashion industry.
He put himself in hot water in 2011 after allegedly making racial slurs at a Paris café. Due to France’s stringent anti-anti-Semitism laws, he was tried in Paris for allegedly “making racist comments to customers in a café” and found guilty of making anti-Semitic insults. This scandal was detrimental to his career, as he was fired by Dior.
He made a successful comeback a few years later when he was appointed creative director of Paris-based fashion house Maison Margiela in 2014. Galliano debuted his first couture collection for Margiela in January 2015 at London Collections: Men.
His Significant Works
John Galliano is most known for his audacious and theatrical creations for Givenchy’s couture show at the Stade de France, as well as his Haute Couture and ready-to-wear collections for Dior. Galliano licensed some of his Givenchy designs to Vogue Patterns.
Awards and Accomplishments
Four times, he was named British Designer of the Year: in 1987, 1994, 1995, and 1997. He shared the award with Alexander McQueen in 1997.
In 2001, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to the fashion industry as a designer.
He was a 2009 recipient of the French Legion of Honour. The medal was, however, revoked in 2012 by French President François Hollande.
Personal History and Legacies
He was previously associated with fashion designer John Flett, whom he referred to as his “soulmate.” Flett passed away in 1991. John Galliano is currently involved with style expert Alexis Roche, with whom he shares a residence.
Estimated Net worth
John Galliano is a fashion designer who is British-Gibraltarian and has a net worth of $20 million. In addition to his own line, John Galliano has led the French fashion houses Givenchy and Christian Dior.