i’m john galiano, and i’m back…

from maison martin margiela spring 2015 couture collection

wow! who knew? for one, i’m completely surprised and amazed. not that i ever doubted john galiano’s genius, and that is despite his drunken mean heartedness a few years ago when he uttered a few anti-semitic and other racist remarks towards asians which then unleashed upon him an unwarranted level of fines and hardship back in france, but because i always saw galliano and margiela as oil and water. how can some one so flamboyant and ornate as galliano do anything with a brand like margiela who is so modern and minimal? the odds were against him, even from his fans… but galliano is back to prove us all wrong. i suppose he managed to find it in his heart to go there, out of need, or necessity, or passion. but he got there. the line speaks of minimalism, extravagance, humor, and deconstruction. galliano was always like a shark that had to swim… or die otherwise. he had to come back, in order to live. we are happy for him, and sorry for him too. especially now, in the wake of the horrible events in paris, one can not help but ponder why was one’s freedom-of-speech so much more important than another’s? as voltaire once said:” i may not agree with what you have to say, but i’ll defend to death your right to say it” there should be no exceptions.  by kc