John Galliano offers a point of extreme difference at the end of couture week with latest Maison Margiela spectacle

The designer has benefited from the anonymity Maison Margiela offers its designers
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Karen Dacre6 July 2016

At the end of a haute couture week laden with diamond encrusted gowns designed for the most conspicuous of consumers, John Galliano’s latest Artisanal collection for Maison Margiela offered a point of extreme difference.

Certainly there was little - the splendour of a catwalk housed within Paris’s Hotel des Invalides aside - that Thorstein Veblen could find ostentatious in the Gibraltar born designer’s latest couture spectacle.

A far cry from the puffy tulle gowns and the eye-watering five figure cocktail gowns which have enticed the nouveau riche to start shopping from their front row seats during this week’s high fashion festivities, this was a show which placed craft not cash at the top of its agenda - and rags - albeit thoughtfully sourced ones - which served as its beating heart.

In keeping with the Maison Margiela philosophy for refashioning fabrics and items into creative masterpieces, Galliano looked to create his own spirited fantasy.

Thierry Chesnot/Getty

Transporting guests into a topsy turvy world in which biker jackets served as cuffs on sleeves and Scottish tweed suiting allowed a second life through canny drapery and the addition of shattered plastic embellishment, Galliano offered a love letter to that which is beautifully bizarre.

On notes issued to those in attendance ahead of the show - reclusive Galliano remained behind the scenes today - the notions of innocence and protection were cited among the designer’s inspirations.

True to this, a stunning sheer gown detailed with blood red embroidery emphasized the idea of fragility. But it was the outerwear in this collection that served as its most poignant addition with coats and anoraks transformed into walking works of art.

Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty

Military coats, flipped upside down and draped across the backs of gowns, swaddled models sporting neon face paint and abstract jewellery.

One parachute dress, created from a windbreak and presented alongside a pair of thigh high wellington boots, further harnessed the idea that this was a collection with which Galliano looked to offer protection from the elements.

An array of millinery - everything from plastic headscarves to caps with supersized peaks was on offer here - also suggested Gallino had been thinking about using fashion as a shield.

Thierry Chesnot/Getty

The idea of fashion as a barrier between the fantastical and reality is becoming common ground for Galliano who has been sheltered by Maison Margiela since arriving at the house in 2014.

The designer, who came to the Belgian founded creative hotbed following his breakdown and a very public sacking at the hands of Christian Dior, has benefited both creatively and personally from the anonymity Maison Margiela offers its designers.

Financial reports suggest that it is a relationship that’s proving mutually beneficial. Sales at the house - owned by Renzo Rosso who owns denim brand Diesel - are up 30% and plans for expansion in the pipeline.

Perhaps diamonds are no longer a girl’s best friend.

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