John Galliano
British, born 1960
Person TypeIndividual
BiographyJohn Galliano has been one of the most successful and influential fashion designers at the turn-of-the-21st century. After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 1988 with a senior collection inspired by the French Revolution, he found financial backing in Paris to support his eponymous label. In 1995, he was brought in as head designer for the venerable French fashion house of Givenchy. A year later, Galliano was promoted to head designer of the even more prestigious house of Christian Dior where he remained until 2011. In addition to his work for Dior, he also headed his eponymous label, John Galliano, until 2011. He is best known for his extravagant haute couture shows infused with romantic historicism. Galliano was dismissed from both companies in 2011 after video footage surfaced of the designer making anti-Semitic comments. He made a comeback in 2014 as the creative director of Maison Margiela where he remained until his departure from the label in 2024.