John Galliano Fall 2012

There is still much uncertainty at the brand a year after the Galliano scandal. Galliano himself may be completely out of the picture, but it’s clear that it’s time for some fresh blood because Bill Gaytten’s visions aren’t quite translating. The forties feel was very Galliano, the grandeur was very Galliano, but the element of innovation was missing. When a label loses its namesake creative director, a certain type of person needs to take the reins. They need to be visionary, and confident in that vision, but able to pull inspiration from the house’s archive.

Obviously, LVMH isn’t in a rush to replace Galliano, but they better speed it up because this recycled act is losing steam fast. It’s not that the collection was bad, in fact it was very much in the vein of what Galliano may have shown himself, but there’s a lack of passion. That extra element that Galliano brought to his shows was missing and it’s clear that Gaytten just doesn’t have that sparkle. Spectacles are a good start but bird hats or no bird hats, it takes a personality to carry the Galliano name.

image: IMAXtree