So the couture shows are on and let me just tell you I have had a real chuckle at the expense of the Dior Show And while Samurai Suzy does not yet have a review up, Sarah Mower’s little tidbit presents us with a quote from the fashion pirate (perhaps Ms Mower reads The Manolo?). 
“There was a lot of political unrest happening.” Galliano said of France’s turbulent summer. “I wanted something boulder and toughened up. The beat of what’s going on.”
No offense to the Dread Pirate Galliano, but the riots in the banlieu
were about a lack of job opportunities, an unresponsive socialist government, and general racial unrest. Â Not the same thing as people
rising up against entrenched royals.
In fact, it’s the opposite, and the next revolution (if it goes beyond
car burning) will be the overthrow of the socialist government that
resulted from the last revolution. Egalité? Fraternité? Liberté? Yeah,
if you mean the freedom to sit in my apartment and be out of work like every other Arab immigrant estranged from the rest of French society.
The fashion Pirate should not be equating this summer’s unrest with the revolution and justify it with various red Marie Antoinette gowns rife with out of place Christian symbolism (perhaps Muslim symbolism would have been more appropriate for his theme) Thus proving sometimes the intellectual infusions that go into the artistic work of couture are a little half baked.
Many thanks to The Manolo for editing this piece!
Hahaha, I couldn’t stand the Dior show either. Way to alienate your target market.
Galliano couldn’t alienate his target market if he tried. This is exactly what we’ve all come to expect. A little half baked? I would suggest wholly baked *cough*
If he did take the unrest as inspiration it certainly would never be as straightforward as you suggest, he’s trying to manifest unrest and disorder Galliano-style, couture is not about political statement, I think it was an aesthetic statement, more about feelings than facts, Almost Girl. Perhaps Galliano was not equating, but juxtaposing, just as you yourself did.
I’m no die-hard Galliano fan but this collection merits a second look, as couture does not just throw itself together, there is much more going on here than interpeting Galliano’s sound bite so literally would suggest. Designers are forced to make these statements to reporters without being given the time to really talk about the intense, months-long process of arriving at a collection. What they really want is for you to look at the collection, really look. The need for quick quotes distracts and dilutes their actual work. Perhaps that’s the problem with trying to review so soon after seeing the collection.
Ohh zing! Perhaps you would have liked my original non-Manolo edited piece?
It was longer and more free form in my conclusions! I will email it to you!
Fashion week comes at the beginning of my school terms, and I’m very sad that I can’t cover as much.
John Galliano’s strange style is starting to creep into his work, at least with the show extras. I’ll have to check more out later.
Le Headache!
Ahoy, matey, shiver me timbers! Are Dior and Galliano now dressing Johnny Depp? May God have mercy on all of us…
Alright I knew Johnny Depp and Galliano were both channeling the same drunken drag queen!
LOL!!! Oh hell, this is one of his worst costumes he’s put on for a rinale walkout. I think the bloody-hell look is been there done that by fashion college students. Maybe he was on cruise control and borrowed these looks? Can you see a socialite aspiring to wear this look? (anytime except Halloween)
[...] And what does this have to do with fashion and design? A great deal I would say. My less than stellar review of Galliano’s Recent Dior Couture Show speaks nicely to many current designers inability to relate our own historical moment with our past and the disconnected flights of fancy that then occur. Galliano tried to fuse together his understanding of the French Revolution with current social unrest of Arab youth in the banlieu. The result? Half baked design born out of stilted understandings of history and culture. [...]
Do you not find it inspiring that someone is looking a little deeper in fashion? finally someone is using their imagination and creating pieces that actually have a meaning.
Although some pieces could be seen as slightly farfetched i think its inspiring to actually create these individual garments