John Galliano in conversation with Colin McDowell

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JG This is a lovely coat, it's worn by Kasia, and this coat was from the Opera collection, but again here you're seeing it worn with like paint-splattered... these jeans were great. When Nick was setting up the shot, one of his assistants had these jeans on and I though it was so cool to put them with the coat.

CM So you took him off of him?

JG They just looked really cool.

CM But that's what makes it modern of course.

JG Yeah, and that chain saw.

CM Yeah, right, the chain saw's a bit worrying but at least the paint's green not red, that would have been a bit more worrying.

JG So that's a beautiful embroidery by Lanel.

CM How long does it take to evolve an image like that?

JG You know, with Nick you lose all sense of time, and he has this amazing team around him. I really don't know how long, you lose all sense of time.

CM But are we talking three or four hours per shot until you get the final one?

JG It's normally three or four hours before you start.

CM Right, well what are you doing in those three or four hours?

JG (Nick)'s thinking about the picture, the light, how this thing is going to be composed, what we're trying to say, setting the whole thing up before you even start to work with the girl.

CM How much do you sort of brief the girl, get her into the mood.

JG Well Nick's the one that gives the...

CM He does all of that does he?

JG Yeah, I mean because at the end of the day it's him and her there, I mean she knows about the garments, she knows how to, but he's... you can stand right behind Nick but you're still not seeing what he's seeing. I mean, he's the one that edging her along.

CM Yeah, the electricity between them, the girl, the dress.

JG Yeah, she's feeling great because of the make-up, we've hopefully made her feel really great, you know the hanging out with her, and Val (Garland)'s made her look the most beautiful, and Sam (McKnight)'s... worked on the hair. So, she's feeling pretty cool and great, and then he's like edging her this way, that way, probably make her do things to produce this incredible shape. So she doesn't even realise he's doing it and only he knows that. He's seeing that through the lens, and then of course, the team click in when they see that lighting and they see what's happening and the reaction, the thing that's going on with Nick. Then they see how the make-up's reacting on film or Polaroid and how the hair's reacting. Should it have wind? Should it not have wind? Should we cut those jeans? Should we tie it, should we make the... then everyone clicks in when we all see what's coming out on film.

CM That must be a very exciting moment.

JG Yeah, because it's changing, it's changing it, and that's why you lose sense of time, because then he'll try a different idea, I mean he'll kick it. That's what I like about Nick; he'll kick it around for hours and then when you think you've got the shot he'll go back to the first item to get it even stronger, but I think that's what's great.