Recycled Fashion

This evening coat in neo-Directoire style, is made of a patchwork of coloured fabrics and has a theatrical impact typical of the panache of John Galliano's couture. This "retro" approach draws for inspiration on the extreme dandy fashions of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and is in effect a tailcoat. Panels of woven sateen in blush pink, green and gold are mixed with huge silver lame lapels and gold lurex sleeves in a Harlequin style reminiscent of fancy dress balls. This catwalk piece was made for Galliano's Venus show of 1992 in Paris and with a post-show price tag of £750.

Alongside Alexander McQueen, John Galliano exemplifies British couture talent in the post-punk, 1990s era. After his graduation in 1983, his first collection "Les Incroyables" was an immediate hit with the press, and was also inspired by Napoleonic and Regency beaux. Like McQueen, Galliano is now a media and fashion superstar, having swept into the Paris couture scene as Head Couturier at Dior in 1997. With Westwood, Galliano has been crucial in bridging the gap between innovative and unpredictable British street style, and the elevated, wealthy world of high fashion.

Full item descriptions:

"evening coat & jacket" [1999.161], Galliano, John

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