December 15, 2014 

By Marcellous L. Jones

Photo by Patrick Demarchelier

Paris, France – Maison Martin Margiela (MMM) has decided to unveil its next haute couture collection in London just on the tails of the men’s fashion week there. This will be the first collection signed by the house’s new artistic director, John Galliano. The show will be the most exciting thing to happen in London’s fashion circle since Tom Ford’s arrival and his decision to set up show there.

The choice to show in London instead of Paris may prove to be a wise one from a strategic point of view. Mr. Galliano (born Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano-Guillén) has many loyal friends among London’s fashion elite. There his friends like supermodel Kate Moss and others never abandoned him like many in Paris did during the firestorm that engulfed him in a very public ouster from the artistic director’s helm at Christian Dior, which began on February 25, 2011.

Anna Wintour brokered a one-shot deal for Galliano in New York City to create a collection for Oscar de la Renta. However, MMM is taking a risk by being the first important European house to welcome Galliano back. Some in France, speaking both on and off the record, still find forgiveness a bit difficult to accord to Galliano for his human errors that he attributed at the time to both “stress” and “multiple addictions”.

The decision to not show in the city of lights will certainly be a loss to Paris . Since the designer last showed in Paris the John Galliano fashion house in January 2011, Paris Fashion Weeks have arguably suffered from a lack of kinetic-like energy.

But one thing is for sure. All eyes will be waiting with great anticipation to see John Galliano’s work for Maison Martin Margiela. And with a strong showing in London, it will only help Paris prepare for his inevitable triumphant return in July 2015.

The London show is scheduled for January 12, 2015 around at tea time or somewhere between 4:00pm and 6:00pm.