Fantastical Orientalism and Sombre Hyper Femininity—John Galliano and Alexander McQueen

The mid-90s was an eponymous time for pop culture. Styles for women became less heroin chic and more grunge feminine. The desire for vintage clothing encouraged the spread of second-hand clothing stores which brought out punk rock (Reddy). The revival of the slip dresses, worn-out jeans, baby doll t-shirts became a staple in most young women’s closets. Movies like Clueless, girl groups like The Spice Girls dominated pop culture by storm. Alexander McQueen and John Galliano were two British designers who used the re-emergence of grunge femininity to their advantage, paving the way for them to exceed expectations, reinvent couture and surpass cultural norms. McQueen and Galliano were recognised for their hyper feminine styles, but their philosophies towards fashion differed greatly from each other. Alexander McQueen and John Galliano’s post-graduate collections were inspired by controversial historical events. With many designers coming from backgrounds with high connections and financial power that helped aid them, McQueen and Galliano were the latter. Both came from hardscrabble backgrounds; both through force of will, graduated from Central Saint Martins. They both overcame financial problems and staged some of the most controversial events ever seen in any Haute Couture shows (Hartman).

Figure 1. John Galliano. Les Incroyables Collection. 1984, Central Saint Martins, London

Born in a devout Catholic family in Gibraltar in 1960, Galliano’s father moved his family to London when he was six. As an adolescent, Galliano attended Wilson’s Grammar in Sutton. His experiences there as a gay man were riddled with bullying (Foy). At 16, he studied textile design and moved to Central Saint Martins (Cosgrave). He became enamoured of historical costuming, and created his post-graduate collection, Les Incroyables. With a lack of funds yet a myriad of fascinating ideas, he referenced the French revolution. Galliano told James, “Any graduation is a form of rebellion as you charge into the real world”, “that’s what I thought of these characters that stood up and defied the situation around them” (Anderson). In Figure 1, jackets were worn upside down, romantic organdie shirts were over-accessorised and rainbow-coloured ribbons were sewn onto the insides of coats. His designs were not far from notorious, giving spectators a sense of fearless hope and justified rebellion—catapulting Galliano from an Honours student to “boy wonder” of British fashion (Cosgrave).

Figure 2. Alexander McQueen. Jack the Ripper Stalks his Victims Collection. 1992, Central Saint Martins, London

Figure 3. Alexander McQueen. Jack the Ripper Stalks his Victims Collection. 1992, Central Saint Martins, London

McQueen did not have lavish beginnings either. Born in London in 1969, McQueen grew up in East’s End. He was the son of a taxi driver. At 16, McQueen left school and worked as a tailor for Anderson & Sheppard. After a couple of tailoring jobs, he worked with designers Koji Tatsuno in London and Romeo Gigli in Italy. He then returned to London and enrolled in Central Saint Martins (Tikkanen). In 1992, his post-graduate collection titled “Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims” was referenced from Jack the Ripper, a serial killer who murdered prostitutes (Burton). Not only did McQueen grow up in the area where the crimes were committed (Stansfield), but one of his relatives owned an inn that housed one of Jack the Ripper’s victims. In Figure 3, McQueen’s dark approach to design was evident by locks of his own hair (Tumblr). This was on each garment, paying homage to Victorian times—people would buy hair from prostitutes rather than using theirs. McQueen told Dazed, “I find beauty in the grotesque” (Stansfield). McQueen drew inspiration from twisted historical events, sparking debate. This catapulted McQueen to fashion headlines. Graduating from the same school, McQueen and Galliano both surpassed leagues by creating their debut runway as tribute to controversial historical events.

Figure 4. Christian Dior (John Galliano), Spring 2004 Ready-to-Wear Collection, Look 5 (Vogue)

Figure 5. Alexander McQueen, Spring 1996 Ready-to-Wear Collection, Hunger, Look 64 (Vogue)

McQueen and Galliano’s designs placed emphasis on theatricality and were inspired by hyper femininity, but their visions were different. Galliano focuses on bringing out theatricality through grandeur beauty, making his designs romantic. The Victorian era was a significant inspiration for Galliano during his time as creative director for Dior. Victorian dolls and hyper feminine textiles were seen across his collections. Figure 4 shows a look styled in a myriad of laces, coquettish puff sleeves and frills. Wigs were worn resembling high-status women during the Victorian era like the late Marie Antoinette along with petite hats. Makeup used was inspired by the 19th century, with its pale foundation and seductive lip shape. In addition, he never failed to input his taste of seduction into them—rosebud-printed corsets, over-exaggeration of makeup and eyelet tutus (Mower). Galliano described this collection as “deliciously consumable”, emphasising the admiration he has for the avant-garde. While this look showcases the epitome of old Victorian grandeur beauty, it also echoed a sense of Galliano’s innovation and ability to keep up with the trends, through its gothic-looking makeup—mascaras were overly-exaggerated, and blush was overdone. Corset silhouettes and flowy textiles were used. Moreover, Galliano’s belief that beauty is peaked through resplendence, backed by the increasing awareness of seductive grunge femininity. In contrast, McQueen brought out his theatricality by exploring sombre themes. Inspired by Tony Scott’s flick, where the actors lure victims into sex-fuelled death traps (Rodgers), McQueen’s Hunger was an experimentation of unusual textiles, bloodied prints and bondage straps. In Figure 5, the model wears a latex corset accentuating her bodice, filled with dirt-covered live maggots stuck in its torso (Hall). With a strikingly cut blazer in corporate grey (Bateman), along with a blood red skirt and a long metal piercing poking through—it was provocative yet unsettling. However, his designs did not over-sexualise the model, nor did it look objectifiable—it exuded empowerment; with the model’s face looking fierce. McQueen’s exploration of blood lust made this runway controversial. However, McQueen added his own take by ensuring the look had elements of empowerment. This solidified himself as a rare indelible fashion, carefully modified bizarre objects to create something powerful. McQueen’s ability to manipulate dark elements into feminine textiles challenged conventional ideals of beauty—deciding not to follow stereotypical silhouettes and creating his own “sombre feminine’ fashion empire that exudes power. He stood out from social conventions during a time where hyper femininity trends were at peak.

Figure 6. Christian Dior (John Galliano), Spring 2004 Haute Couture Collection, Look 9 (Vogue)

Figure 7. Christian Dior (John Galliano), Spring 2004 Haute Couture Collection, Look 9 Details (Vogue)

Figure 8. Alexander McQueen, Spring 2001 Ready-to-Wear Collection, Voss, Look 24 (Vogue)

Their difference in visions manifested itself in their runway looks throughout 1995 to the 2010s, prominently in inspirations. Moreover, there was a contrast of their aesthetics through the different textiles used. True to his style of fantastical orientalism, Galliano played with ornate embellishments inspired by historical events—intricate embroidery, and fancy beading (LBSS). In the 2004 Dior Haute Couture collection, Galliano was inspired by a tour of Egypt, resulting in the use of gold leafs, lapis lazuli-hued snake and coral beading (Mower). In Figure 6 and 7, Galliano referenced Nefertiti and King Tut, hand sewing Egyptian metallic beads tediously onto the model’s sleeves (Mower). Prints were inspired by hieroglyphic art and tomb paintings, along with monumental crystal-encrusted jewellery that encased the model’s neck to her shoulders. Moreover, Galliano added his own take through the sensuous silhouettes and flowy garments. Galliano’s use of valuable materials showed his fearlessness in pushing fashion boundaries, and appreciation for fantastical historicism, while being able to manipulate the garments in his way that fits into the hyper feminine trend. Conversely, McQueen chose to innovate materials that were not conventionally valuable. From shells to bondages, McQueen used organic textiles (Faiers), and sometimes even controversial materials, innovating them into powerful looks. McQueen’s Spring 2001 collection Voss was named after a Norwegian town known for wildlife (Briseño). Audience sat around a mirrored cube that revealed a mental-hospital cell. Models were portrayed demented, wearing hospital headbands (Vogue). In Figure 8, the model strutted with a structure of eagles over her head, along with a long feather-filled tulle. Bare-breasted, she struts looking almost deranged. McQueen spoke, “metamorphosis is a bit like plastic surgery, but less drastic” (Bolton)—he hopes to modify fashion through uncomfortability to create something worth remembering. He believed that beauty was in fiction but also reality, through insanity and sanity (Briseño). Using natural and organic materials, he hoped to transform people’s perception of fashion into something meaningful—fearless with the possibility of scrutiny. McQueen and Galliano had a desire for theatricality and a fearlessness that never failed to turn heads. They have similar aims to defy odds, but due to their different visions, the execution of their designs was different.

In conclusion, McQueen and Galliano are both designers that accomplished feats despite the possibility of scrutiny. Their designs were hyper feminine and had a touch of wildness. However, despite their similar ideals, they had different visions—McQueen’s drive was inspired by twisted fantasies, modifying unconventional materials, and innovating them into empowering silhouettes. In contrast, Galliano takes inspiration from the grandeur—historical events, dramatic tales, using valuable textiles and transforming them into romantic silhouettes. Emotions felt through these pieces were complex and on opposing ends of the spectrum—one brought out mental sobriety and provoked critical thinking and the other brought out enthralment and complex captivation. Despite their different take on hyper femininity, McQueen and Galliano never failed to push social boundaries, and through their own ways, continuously defied expectations to create impactful and eclectic works of art.

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Images Cited

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Galliano, John. “SPRING 2004 READY-TO-WEAR.” Photograph, Web, 10 Oct. 2003, www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2004-ready-to-wear/john-galliano/slides how/collection#5.

McQueen, Alexander. “JACK the RIPPER STALKS HIS VICTIMS MA GRADUATION COLLECTION (1992).” Photograph, Web, 30 Oct. 2015, www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/27210/1/alexander-mcqueen-s-most-dark -and-twisted-moments.

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