Alexander Fury: John Galliano A/W 94

'The thing that I love about this show is it's economy, the idea of creating something magical when you have nothing.'

Fashion critic Alexander Fury talks through his selection of the most notable fashion shows of history. Here he details John Galliano's make-or-break show, Japonisme. Held in a ramshackle 17th century-style hôtel particulier in Paris, laid on for the occasion by client São Schlumberger, it proved to be a pivotal moment for both the designer's career and fashion history. Fury lets us into the dream Galliano created as he depicts the narrative underlying the collection of an ‘orientalist kittenish princess’ waiting for her lover to return, as described to him by creative consultant Amanda Harlech. Here, Galliano reconfigured elegance via a haute couture aesthetic devised from his avant-garde London roots, fusing Western tailoring and kimono silhouettes.