Paris Fashion in the 90s:

John Galliano, the Revolutionary

with Madeleine Czigler

 The five post-World War II decades opened-up innovative new streams in fashion. The new trends reflected great societal changes and were the harbingers of a much more open attitude to dress. By the 1990s the new trends reached a climax and exciting new fashion designers explored in depth the multifaceted possibilities revealed in the previous decades. British fashion designer John Galliano is an outstanding example of a passionate creator who understood the magic of combining past and present trends. Galliano’s work best represents this era. Mixing together classicism, romance, gender bending and streetwear, he rose to prominence in Paris in 1991. By the mid 90’s, his outrageous, whimsical, beautifully constructed designs caught the eye of luxury magnate Bernard Arnault and he became the artistic director of the prestigious classic houses of Givenchy and then Dior. I covered Galliano’s first fashion show in Paris in 1991 and continued the coverage for the next twenty years for CBC’s television series: “Fashion File”. Video excerpts from a resulting documentary, Masters of Style: John Galliano will be included in the presentation.