'Due to the official funeral of Madame Simone Veil this Wednesday July 5th at the Hôtel des Invalides, Maison Margiela will hold the Artisanal Collection show within the Maison’s headquarters at 163 rue Saint Maur in the 11th arrondissement of Paris at 10am.' This was the message guests at the Maison Margiela Artisanal show received 24 hours prior to H-Hour. It actually ended up being a good thing - we got to see the secluded Maison Margiela headquarters, their pristine white walls and sample collection and even some of John Galliano’s studio objects. It was a charming surprise and the perfect scenery for a collection inspired by the elusive concept of 'glamour' in past, present and future times.
And if someone does time-traveling masterfully in fashion, that’s John Galliano. There were hints of classic Hollywood glamour, a touch of glam via metallic boots and lots of glitter poured over the hair as well as touches of futurism in the space-agey attitude of the models. But, perhaps most interestingly, there were everyday textures elevated to the category of couture, like a bustier top and raincoat made out of plissé organza, which remarkably resembled cardboard. Or traditional woollen intarsia knits recut as corsets. And, of course, there was the models’ hair and make-up – which, in Galliano territory, become just as important as the clothes. Bits of mousse and bubbly shampoo dripped through the model’s hair and galactic make-up-covered skin, giving a sense of urgency and haste to each one of the looks. That visceral mix of the fleeting and the timeless, the future and the past, the glamorous and the mundane is the mark of truly great fashion. The kind that sends shivers down your spine. John Galliano was the first to do that for us this week.
