Maison Margiela in Restoring, Reinventing, and Recycling. John Galliano’s newest creative revelation takes the runway in a return to worth to the things we believe in.
There are two words that contribute to an accurate summation of John Galliano’s latest collection for Maison Margiela’s Fall 2020 ready-to-wear, and they’re bourgeois and vintage. In a podcast the designer started as a replacement to backstage interviews about his work, Galliano dubs his vision as “restorative”. In what sense exactly? He ardently declared: “the idea of giving something a new life… I like the idea of maybe kick-starting a consciousness into enjoying these [bourgeois] gestures”. Henceforth, a new label has been surging through the fashion house, and that’s recicla! (Spanish for recycle). Recicla for Galliano’s recent endeavors into recycling and renovation, for the “joy that [Maison Margiela] will be able to sell these pieces among the rest of the collection” that thrills him. Galliano’s been thinking of these gestures since the Maison Margiela Artisanal collection back this January, from which the designer headed off to deepen his enchantment for recicla.
Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
Look no further than John Galliano’s impressive juxtaposition of color palettes, textures, and combinations this season that impeccably pairs the impossible with the possible: we’re seeing pastels on tulle, a red leather trench worn by a model carrying a woven tote, sheer outerwear with a striking red collar paired with a peachy orange tulle skirt layered over violet and mustard yellow camel toe heels, oranges with mauve and blue and other bold drops of color that appear almost abrupt but fit so perfectly in with the big picture. The runway might as well be how it feels to step into a painting with touches of Galliano’s innovation — restoration! Not to mention the details on some bags that looked to be half-covered by plastic wrapping, as if new and ready to be loved again by its wearer.
One of the closing looks is a dress made from lavender chiffon reminiscent of what one would find as an early 20th-century must-have staple piece, redefined to become the flapper dress of the 2020s. Galliano’s not replicating these classic silhouettes, and the adjective “timeless” may not be so convincing anymore; reworking is the way to go, especially in this collection. “The idea is that this voyage of discovery supports this feeling of being inventive with a conscience,” Galliano explained.
There’s undoubtedly some ambiguity behind the term “sustainability” and how green thrifting is in actuality, but considering the amount of waste clothing adds in third-world landfills, Galliano’s reconstructive experimentation of charity-shop finds is refreshingly nothing short of encouraging. The wicker bags featured on the catwalk are entirely made from offcut leathers originating from previously manufactured bags and are “restored from the 20s through the 70s”. It’s time to flip the switch in the way we produce and consume clothes; instead of a surplus, instead of excessive textile usage and mass production and the like, let’s think a little more Recicla. (Text Jordinna Joaquin)