From

From the sublime to the absurd:
John Galliano

(ELLE.com) -- Fashion critics had good reason to dub Galliano the "Wild Child of British Fashion " - in recent years the flamboyant designer has been through as many different costume dramas as his collections! Ask anyone in the know and they'll tell you such dramatic changes of image usually herald the theme of Galliano's next eccentric collection.

Born in Gibraltar in 1960 to a Spanish mother and an English father, John Galliano arrived in London at the age of six. He went on to study at London's most prestigious design college, Central St. Martin's School of Art, graduating with honors in 1984. Journalists hailed Galliano's final-year show - a grandiose costume extravaganza inspired by the French Revolution - as a masterpiece and started proclaiming him a "true fashion genius." Not surprisingly, only a week after the show, Galliano's entire collection was snapped up by the chic London boutique, Browns.

Galliano launched his own label in 1984, winning instant acclaim for his elaborately romantic and historically-influenced designs. However, while fashion critics lauded him (Galliano won his first British Designer of The Year award in 1987), financial success continued to elude him. So in 1991 the ambitious young designer turned his back on London and re-located to Paris. However, financially speaking, Paris was no bed of roses for Galliano either! Fortunately, a handful of highly influential people believed in the rising young star's talent. Wealthy French socialite Sao Schlumberger ended up letting Galliano present his collections in her mansion, and supermodel friends such as Kate Moss and Christy Turlington strutted down the catwalk for free.

By the mid-90's Galliano had become the most sought-after designer in Paris, and in 1995 Bernard Arnault, president of the luxury goods group LVMH, shocked the fashion world by appointing him head designer at Givenchy. Galliano designed just two collections for Givenchy before Arnault moved him across to Dior, where Galliano's debut couture collection coincided with the 50th anniversary of Dior's legendary New Look. Needless to say, Galliano's first couture collection caused just as great a scandal as the original New Look, models strutting down the catwalk in mini-skirted daysuits and evening gowns embroidered with colorful African beadwork.

Galliano's theatrical shows - for both his eponymous line and for Dior - soon became Paris Fashion Week's hottest tickets. Models hung off trapezes or ran up and down the catwalk in gigantic crinolines with wolves howling in the background. Once the girls even hurled live fish into the audience! Meanwhile, Galliano's clothes grew increasingly outrageous.

Galliano then sparked controversy with his spring 2000 Haute Couture collection for Christian Dior. Inspired by the homeless people he spotted on his daily jog, Galliano created a Clochard Chic look using newspaper, wire hangers, and other found objects. Enraged by the collection, homeless people and social activists picketed Christian Dior‘s Avenue Montaigne boutique in Paris. Galliano made a public apology, claiming his whimsical ideas had been misconstrued. Rebounding with a much-admired fall 2000 collection, however, Galliano once again proves his genius to provoke and delight with his creations.

The House of Dior is located in Paris.

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