John Galliano Braces Media Coverage- First Time Since 2010!

Recently, John Galliano, the designer who was shamed by his anti-semitic rant in Paris in 2011, appeared on Charlie Rose in order to confront the demons which forced him into a downhill spiral.

The interview can be watched online here: http://www.charlierose.com/view/content/12975

In January, Oscar de la Renta announced that he would seek the help of Galliano for a Fall collection which surprised the fashion industry in its entirety. To remind yourself, have a read of this post: http://www.therebirthoffashion.net/2013/01/john-gallianos-return.html?q=galliano

Oscar de la Renta & Galliano- Fall 2013. 

Although the YouTube videos gained thousands of hits and the headlines received thousands of views, I don't believe anyone truly understood the psychological reasoning behind the comments he made. In a video recorded by a member of the public, Galliano was seen making some very offensive remarks including "I love Hitler". Following this, Galliano was practically made an outcast by anyone who was anyone. 

In this interview, I believe it took great strength and courage for Galliano to properly explain the addiction which led to the comments. It shocked the world at how a creative genius who produced exquisite designs for the House of Dior and the House of Galliano could possibly ruin a reputation so renowned. The interview gave an in-depth insight that finally revealed all.

In my opinion, Galliano appeared nervous, yet humble and calm throughout. After discussing the bullying that occurred at a boy's school he attended in South London, he mentioned his transfer to Central Saint Martins, home to many designers including Christopher Kane and Zac Posen. 

"You draw like a God", he was told. 

Then, the deeper side emerged. Charlie Rose dug into the question everyone wants to know- why? "I was a blackout drinker", explained Galliano. His excessive drinking released "paranoia" and triggered frustrations from his childhood. This may explain his aggressive nature in the Paris recording. A "self-defence mechanism", he called it. 

Galliano, bravely claimed that he was a "slave" to his addiction.

What members of the public and in fact, anybody who does not have high-end fashion designing experience, is that designing equals immense pressure:

"I was producing 32 collections a year between The House of Dior and The House of Galliano." Just looking at the number 32- I can only imagine the stress and struggles that the sheer demand must of put on him. 

From valium, to sleeping pills, to alcohol, Galliano cried "My life became unmanageable". 

One particular point of the interview struck me. "I was acting like God", he admitted. Luckily, he now understands that he is not in the driving seat of his fate and has reconnected with God, in order to seek forgiveness for his behaviour. I can only admire him for attempting to change and recognising how grateful he should be that he is alive today. 

When the suicide of Alexander McQueen was mentioned, Galliano simply exclaimed " I understood". This powerful statement made everything into a blank canvas, I believe. 

Throughout, Galliano recognised that he could not mask nor excuse his behaviour in any way, with any psychological tendencies or explanations, yet he knew that the person seen in the video was not him, in any way. In fact, he claims he has no memory of his being there as the alcohol took over his memory and his subconscious acted as reality. The triggered comments about him being "arian", by the recorders definitely provoked an uncalled-for reaction. 

By the end, I saw a changed man, despite not meeting or knowing him personally. I believe he fully grieves his actions every day and if it wasn't for Oscar de la Renta giving him that chance to shine again, his gifted ways of design may have escaped him forever. Anna Wintour has also played a vital role in helping reform his ways. "She's amazing. She inspires me", he praised as he smiled blissfully. 

Overall, I commend Galliano for opening up and perhaps shedding some hope for other addicts who are too ashamed to seek help. After rehabilitation in Arizona and many attempts to make amends with clients, friends and family, I believe Galliano can recover one step at a time. Perhaps the breakdown allowed him to finally realise that he needed to say "no" occasionally and seek the full support of his team. Health is the most important thing here and I can only hope that one day soon, Galliano will be given the forgiveness he requires and the platform to create the designs we miss so dearly. However, as long as he continues to make his years sober, a great accomplishment has stemmed from this tragedy. 

Versace Resort 2014 Collection Review

If you took a regular Resort collection out of it's stereotypical box and into the hands of a "no risk is boring" designer, you'd get Versace's 2014 collection.

Daring, powerful and somewhat summery- the Versace collection was just right. The perfect combination of riskay silhouettes with cropped hemlines and short bandage dresses.

The colour palette saw bursts of white, aqua, yellow, dusty pink, coral and black pulled together to create looks for a diverse range of buyers. You have the black looks for the formal, yet sexy looks for the modern-day empowered woman, as well as the brightly coloured, "in your face" looks for day wear in the sun.

Certainly, Donatella was not afraid to have fun with this collection, but when is she ever afraid of that? Clothing does not have to be boring at all. You can go from a slightly more demure sweetheart girl in the day to a lustrous goddess in the evening. In my opinion, this is what Versace does best... it brings together the girls who want to experiment and not confine themselves to one boring look.

Some attempts at colour-blocking were made with this collection, as yellows and pinks were paired together, for example. Expectation is in the past- clothing can be exactly what you want it to be.

Sex appeal boosted to the max- simple, yet sassy white bandage dress contrasted nicely with a black textured clutch.

A simple floral pattern can never go wrong for Summer.

Traditional? What is that. Why choose one bland swimsuit when you can make a statement with this, to say the least. Chequered on one side and floral on the other- the ultimate contrast. The one-strap and plunged neckline adds the sexiness to the look, however. For me, the bag is what I'm loving the most here, that Versace emblem looks gorgeous against the turquoise. 

Double neon yellow with a bandage dress with a slightly longer hemline but still short, nonetheless. Tight is the way with Versace. I'm all for the strappy heels in this collection too, certainly on-trend right now.  

A bit more subtle and demure with the dusty pink combination here but the cropped jacket still  adds a youthful  atmosphere. I've been missing oversized clutches so it's nice to see one here, although the structure of it seems quite unique with the satchel strap. 

Adore this look. The sheer mesh on the sleeves and bottom of the skirt is stunning together. All black is the perfect way to look sophisticated, yet sexy. Again, love the clutch and the "undefinable" look here. I presume the model is wearing a dress and a blazer but the construction adds that "all-in-one" feel. 

All coral- a very daring look to pull off but look at that slit! Midriff, cleavage and killer legs to  distort the "boring" blazer and skirt look. Who says office chic has to be for the office? 

Very Donatella with the black and gold combination. I am obsessed with this blouse with the gold pocket outlines. Unconventional but stylish with the strappy heels too. Slouchy can be uber-chic!