by Olivia Moreau
Political graffiti as fashion has had a long tradition within streetwear. But it has rarely graced the edges of couture. John Galliano just changed that age old structure by introducing a collection that is removed from the structural formation of not only what is acceptable but also what is literally possible. Through the means of absent seams and basic hemlines Galliano is taking Maison Margiela where no designer has gone in a long time. There is no singular narrative, there is no singular cause to this collection but a general feeling of being present in the moment that drives it to a point of genius. It is a critique of Americana and an homage to the 60s in many ways. But it is not an simple as a protest vote or a love letter. It remains within the equipoise of a moment stuck in time unable to forgo and unable to comprehend. Galliano's work here is philosophy masquerading as protest masquerading as fashion wear. It is not an easy collection to get into, but nothing worth having is easy.
