John Galliano’s phantom Parisian dream has to be one of the greatest collections I have seen in awhile! 

Descending the rain-slicked steps beneath the Pont Alexandre Bridge, guests simultaneously enter another world, Paris in the 1930s. The scene is set in an untouched bar straight out of a Braissaï photograph with wooden stools askew, glasses half-full, cups stacked, and dust everywhere. It was as if the revelers had just vanished. The underbelly of Paris was alive and its guests were now part of the haunting, yet magical world. 

Absolutely every detail was considered by the Maison Margiela team. From the flickering street lights to the sickly glow of the full moon, the scene is set and perfected. The lights cut out, and suddenly, the world shifts. A musical performance begins and shortly after a film is projected onto the mirror of this forsaken bar. The film was all about the abstract notions of the tightening of the corset. Characters crossed through Paris at night and eventually tumbled down to the Seine. Suddenly, a fever dream turned into a reality. Leon Dame, the Margiela mus falls . . .yes, falls down the stairs. One moment he is in the film, the next he is in the flesh among the guests. 

Dame does not just walk; he prances, bends, and contorts his body in ways that are indescribable. Cinched into a white corset that sculpted his figure into an almost surreal silhouette, paired with trousers boasting exaggerated hims, he embodies the collection’s core. This represents the struggle between restriction and release. The pain and beauty of it is so intense, it leaves viewers both mesmerized and a little uneasy. 

Maison Margiela’s Couture Spring 2024 collection marked a triumphant return to form for John Galliano, who has, for decades, elevated fashion into a captivating show. This show’s DNA was Galliano at his finest, a master storyteller who seamlessly blended the boundaries between fantasy and reality. 

Nude corsets shaped sinuous figures, visible beneath thinly veiled black tulle dresses. The emphasis on silhouette is what made this show so successful. Exquisitely tailored suits contorted into hourglass forms, while various iterations of skirt suits had billowing sleeves and impeccably rounded hips. 

Despite unmistakably embodying Galliano’s signature style, the collection exuded an undeniable Margiela essence. Seams were celebrated rather than concealed. Hems were intentionally left raw, as if to say “Perfection is overrated.” Of course, the iconic tabi shoes made their requisite appearance, but this time in color. 

Early in the collection, garments were quite light and often represented the boning of classic silhouettes with the use of lace. He utilized one of the 15 techniques created in this show called miltrage. This is the use of fabrics such as wool to make them extremely lightweight. For example, cinched jackets, skirts, and trousers were just as light as silk. However, later there was the introduction of exploding forms. It was almost the opposite of what had just been displayed as padding exploded from all sides of jackets and forms became more voluminous. 

A standout piece from the collection was a pleated beige coat. Its texture seems to be eerily reminiscent of cardboard. As the model extended her arms, the impeccably cut kimono sleeves replicated the appearance of a pannier. It was opulent, a wearable paradox only Galliano could conjure. 

The dark Victorian fantasy persisted with painted bodysuits beneath embroidered sheer gowns that floated ghostly on the catwalk. In blurred shades of blue and pink, models resembled distorted Fauvist artworks and techniques. It is elegant yet unsettling. He created a technique called retrograding which gives the effect of the material rushing into one another through color. 

Beyond the garments, Galliano’s shows are a spectacle in themselves. Exquisite women paraded as mysterious figures concealed behind voluminous coats, with porcelain-glazed faces, moved around the runway like orchestrated puppets. It was truly a grand theatrical production. They were not just models; they were marionettes. 

This collection was a celebration of the absurd, the beautiful, and the painfully human. Under the Parisian bridge, guests were not just spectators; they were part of an unfolding narrative. It was one that will forever linger after the lights dimmed and the city’s underbelly returned to silence. What a dream this show was!