Star designer John Galliano is set to exit Maison Margiela after 10 years leading the OTB-owned brand.
The designer confirmed the news with a lengthy statement on Instagram. âToday is the day I saw goodbye to Maison Margiela ⦠I am forever grateful for this safe space to create and build a new family that supports me with courage and dignity,â he wrote, thanking his atelier and Renzo Rosso, the president of Margiela parent company OTB Group.
The brand, founded by the ultra-secretive Martin Margiela, gave Galliano a platform for easing back into the spotlight as he sought redemption after a drug- and alcohol-fuelled rant saw him ousted from Dior in 2011.
Margielaâs business steadily climbed in recent years as Galliano infused its collections with campy, theatrical innovations, deconstructed designs and a gender-fluid sensibility as well as pushing the craftsmanship and creative impact of its Artisanal line to new heights. Sales rose 22 percent in 2023 even as the wider luxury market slowed.
An ultra-viral January 2024 show further cemented his legacy as one of fashionâs greatest-ever storytellers, as abject, historically-informed couture characters haunted a misty show space under a bridge in Paris in glassy masklike makeup by Pat McGrath.
Galliano did not elaborate on his future plans, instead saying that âwhen the time is right, all will be revealed.â
But sources familiar with the matter say former employer LVMH has sought a rapprochement with the designer in recent months as it reshuffles its creative ranks.
One of the conglomerateâs biggest fashion brands, Fendi, has yet to name a new womenswear designer after Kim Jones stepped down from the role in October.
Stay tuned to BoF for updates on this developing story.
