It was weird and dramatic, as Galliano has been throughout his career, and as has been his tenure thus far at Maison Margiela. This is the same designer, after all, who inventively sent models skulking and creeping down the catwalk in place of their usual gait.

At the same time, Galliano managed to incorporate his signatures, such as red-carpet ready pieces that will undoubtedly have celebrities like Amal Clooney, who Galliano dressed for the Met Gala, lining up.

And yet that motif of turning one thing into another—burlap sacks into a coat, a shop apron into a dress, men into women—was also very much in keeping with the deconstructive ethos and experimentations of Martin Margiela.

It was Galliano’s best collection to date in his new role—a terrific fusion of his vision and the house founder’s—and shows that Galliano has managed to do what was once unthinkable: he’s transformed Maison Margiela itself.

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