Much to the dismay of fashion enthusiasts everywhere, the creative director mass exodus has finally made its way to Maison Margiela. In the same year that Virginie Viard, Pierpaolo Piccioli, and Kim Jones (to name a few) left their respective creative director posts at Chanel, Valentino, and Fendi, respectively, another industry giant just announced his heartbreaking departure. On December 11, John Galliano shared with his 1.6 million Instagram followers that he’s leaving Maison Margiela. “Today is the day I say goodbye to Maison Margiela,” he wrote.
After 10 years and numerous successful collections with the French atelier, the revered designer reflected on his Maison Margiela journey and explained the reasoning behind his shocking exit.
With a heart full of gratitude and nostalgia, Galliano credited his accomplishments to “two truly beautiful people whom I both love and cherish” — the label’s founder, Martin Margiela, and Renzo Rosso, the chairman of international fashion group, Only The Brave. “I celebrate the genderless collections we now produce, reinforced by how they are bought and supported. My co-ed collections, whether Artisinal or RTW, represent diversity and individuality,” Galliano said. “I celebrate the magical relationships with my muses, who challenge me to create safe places where we can dream and make believe,” he added in reference to models like Thomas Riguelle and Valentine Charrasse. Galliano ended the note by thanking his atelier for “relishing in the importance of slow and ethical fashion,” which has been a driving factor in both his couture and ready-to-wear collection.
The label has yet to officially comment Galliano’s news.
Galliano even got ahead of the (inevitable) replacement gossip, saying, “The rumors… Everyone wants to know, and everyone wants to dream. When the time is right, all will be revealed.”
So, while his successor is still a secret, one thing’s clear: Galliano’s final collection was the internet-breaking Spring 2024 Couture show — and what a phenomenal swan song it was. On January 25, Galliano took the front-row set underneath the Pont Alexandre III bridge for a theatrical presentation of 44 looks. Each creation spotlighted extreme corsetry, eerily sheer designs, doll-inspired silhouettes, and the now-viral glass-like makeup, of course.
Galliano received a wide range of critical acclaim for this collection — praise that will follow him to wherever he goes next (perhaps a return to the creative director position at Dior?).
If you’re a new Galliano fan, the 64-year-old designer got his start at Central Saint Martins, graduating in 1984 with a degree in fashion design. Ten years later, in 1995, he earned the lead designer spot at Givenchy — a role he held for only a year before he replaced Gianfranco Ferré as Dior’s creative director.
During his Dior tenure, Galliano made waves on the runway and the red carpet. Some of his most notable designs? Celine Dion’s backwards suit at the 1999 Academy Awards; Nicole Kidman’s chartreuse silk gown at the 1997 Oscars; and Princess Diana’s one and only Met Gala dress in 1996.
However, in December 2010, his time at Dior came to a screeching halt after he directed antisemitic slurs toward Italian women on camera. In his most recent Instagram post, Galliano acknowledged the exoneration he received within the fashion industry, calling his time at Maison Margiela “a second chance.”
“Forgiving myself was, for a while, the hardest act,” he said. “I felt guilty that my behavior perpetuated the stereotype that creativity had to be fueled by drink and drugs. With my teams, we’ve proven that creativity is never out of fashion.”
It’s unclear where Galliano will go next, but according to the fans that flooded his Instagram comment section, wherever he goes, they’ll follow.