As the acclaimed British fashion designer makes the move from high art to affordable retail, what can we expect?

Designers collaborating with fast fashion isn’t anything new. H&M’s countless capsules with the likes of Maison Margiela, Rabanne and Mugler to UNIQLO’s JW Anderson, Jil Sander and UNDERCOVER – the list goes on. The aforementioned Japanese label tapped Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy fame as their creative director, and Zac Posen works for Gap. And yet, nothing has really made the headlines as much as Zara’s announcement of John Galliano as Stefano Pilati’s successor. 

Potential reasons are plenty. But first and foremost, it seems like such a wildly jarring turn for the British designer. The same man whose work – for Dior’s couture, of all places – was once criticised as being “too much”, a mind who prioritised glamor and showmanship above all else, at Zara? With the accompanying press release stating that he would “reinterpret the brand’s archives through a series of seasonal collections”, it leaves much to be wondered about what kind of artistic integrity exists in this new position. 

Nevertheless, there’s a certain excitement in it. With us in great excitement for what “seasonal expressions and creations” will manifest from a “couture process” at Zara, the only thing we can do for now is take a look at the high points of Galliano’s career.

1984’s “Les Incroyables”

Marking his graduation at Central St. Martins, the collection immediately introduces Galliano’s love of narrative. Weaving stories, romanticism and historic inspirations into eighteenth-century silhouettes, androgynous shapes and artful deconstructions were revolutionary for his time. 

Givenchy SS96 

The debut of the first British designer to head a French maison, he returned with his imaginative historicism with rich elegance and a complete lack of subtlety. Avoiding reference to Hubert de Givenchy’s time as Audrey Hepburn’s dressmaker of choice, he evoked the portrait of The Empress Eugénie Surrounded by Her Ladies-in-Waiting with his first look and followed with tuxedos, mid-century flapper styles and silk evening gowns.

Dior SS97

Moving to LVMH’s crown jewel at the behest of Bernard Arnault, Galliano brought a healthy dose of rejuvenation to the legacy brand. An operatic opening inspired by Marchesa Luisa Casati, an Italian socialite – it showed extravagant opulence in bias-cut silk, delicate layers, and lavish embellishments.

Dior SS00

Infamously named the “hobo collection”, it’s known now as the moment he introduced his signature newspaper motifs. Subversive prints, oversized garments and an intensely controversial theme once again made him the darling of tabloid headlines. 

Dior Couture AW05

Reimagining the souls of those inspired by Christian Dior himself, Galliano took Edwardian silhouettes and transformed them into transparent, skin-baring dresses in silk organza embroidered with extreme opulence. Drawing on conceptions of past icons in Princess Margaret, Wallis Simpson and Margot Fonteyn, his visualized poetry made for a delicate, original interpretation of the French house’s long legacy.

John Galliano AW09

Highlighted by long-time collaborator Pat McGrath’s masterful makeup, frostbitten cheeks and sheer textures walked through snowstorms in frozen beauty. Another display of Galliano’s love of excess and decadence, models appeared as characters straight out of folklore and fairytale. 

Margiela Artisanal SS15

His first presentation after his disastrous fallout with the press in 2009, his blend of his own unbound grandeur and Margiela’s provocative deconstruction was the perfect reintroduction to the industry. 

Margiela Artisanal SS24

The last we’ve seen of the British designer yet, it came as almost a career celebration for Galliano. Staging porcelain dolls in tiered gowns with theatrical atmosphere and dramatic emotion, the spectacle went viral online for just how over the top it was. Though the sense of finality has somewhat faded with the announcement of his new position at Zara, the show still stands out as a cry of triumph for the ups-and-downs of one of fashion’s most influential and experimental designers.

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