John Galliano in conversation with Colin McDowell

Click to download this text as a pdf file

CM What about this one, which is great fun?

JG That's Karen (Elson) and that's Ben (Dunbar-Brunton), who you met earlier.

CM Oh right, yes.

JG The strong man.

CM This is the strong man brought in to support it all. What's the mood of this? What collection was this from?

JG This I believe was worn by Annilise in the Opera collection, it has that very delicate, feminine 'Josephine' vibe to it. Beautiful embroidery again like cloth flowers and velvet ribbons and then re-embroidered, and that's just the lining of the coat by Lesage, and I just love this whole irreverent feeling to it as well, with the balloons, it's so happy and 'up'.

CM The riches and fare which make you think of great grandeur you know, Catherine the Great.

JG Plastic helium-filled balloons.

CM That feeling of Catherine the Great coming through the snow on a sleigh you know in the winter in Russia.

JG And her colouring with that red hair, and there she is.

CM And then there is a party going on.

JG Yeah, it's Blackpool isn't it, it's like a contemporary Lartigue?

CM It's marvelous, it's a pyramid of fun really, it's great.

JG And all the streamers, yeah, it's lovely that.