Daily Front Row

2008 October 6

John Galliano - Paris Spring 2009

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John Galliano Spring 2009
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(PARIS) First, the references--this season, John Galliano looked to 18th century illustrator and satirist James Gillray. "A very keen eye for fashion, he had," said Galliano. "In fact, as fashions became more extreme, his hand became stronger and stronger." Sounds familiar, but this season, everything was extreme but the clothes. The location (a metro repair station just outside the periperhique), the start time (9:00 p.m. on a Friday night), the feathered military hats (courtesy of Stephen Jones), and the beauty (cotton-candy wigs, marionette makeup) could've been dreamed up by Tim Burton. The pleasant surprise? Galliano's easy silk day dresses, crowd-pleasing florals, and parka-style jackets were some of the most wearable, lovely pieces seen all week. One square-necked floor-grazing floral frock worn by Jessica Stam (avec outrageous pirate's cap) was particularly memorable, as was the blue tulle one-shoulder gown with a metallic embroidery and lace bloomers that immediately followed it. Galliano's theatrical prowess, while virtually unrivaled in fashion (sorry, Margiela), is a tough act to follow. Luckily, his delectable spring offerings managed to outshine all that jazz.