Vogue Festival 2015: John Galliano

On the 25th and 26th April, the annual Vogue Festival was underway at the Royal Geographical Center in Kensington. With big industry names such as Alexa Chung, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Louboutain and Kate Upton all speaking at the prestigious event, securing that all important ticket was an expense worth paying. However, the big ticket and the star of the show was undoubtedly the John Galliano: Master of Couture talk, taking place on the final night of the festival. And I am extremely proud to say that I was there!

Since my interest in fashion began as a 13 year old, John Galliano was a huge inspiration, most especially his work at Christian Dior. I would watch and re watch all his old couture shows, taking in the dramatic effects, the beauty of the set design and the story the clothes portrayed. From his time at Dior between 1997-2011, Galliano was a visionary who lived inside a fantasy, fashion world where anything was possible. His imagination and historical references to the French Revolution, Victorian period and the opulence of the Georgian aristocracy all played a fundamental part in his collections, which were anything short of amazing. Not forgetting his collections for his own line, John Galliano and his short time at Givenchy, Galliano has been an ever present part of fashion and adds to the majesty and prestige of the industry in so many ways.

We all know what happened to John Galliano, regarding his ‘downfall.’ The anti-Semitic video rage, the stint at rehab in Arizona, the apology etc. And now, Galliano it seems has been forgiven, taking the reigns at the iconic Maison Martin Margiela. I for one am so glad and proud of the transformation Galliano has undertaken, from shamed designer to celebrated star. His talent is one too large and precious to go to waste.

So for the 2015 Vogue Festival, John Galliano took pride of place, interviewed by Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Alexandra Shulman. Focusing on his design process, his inspirations and most iconic moments in fashion, the talk was lively and interesting with the entire audience completely transfixed by the two influential industry experts on stage. Galliano spoke honestly with passion, while Alexandra Shulman asked a number of interesting questions provoking fantastic responses from Galliano.

Overall, the Vogue Festival 2015 was a fantastic and fun experience. As well as listening to one of the greatest fashion designers speak, you could try your hand at styling, speak to members of the Vogue team, have your hair and nails perfected by a strong group of experts, visit the Vogue shop, have your photo on the front cover of Vogue (which was one of my favs!) and dressing up in vintage Chanel accessories. If you've never attended before, I strongly recommend it, especially if you are interested in fashion and love reading Vogue magazine. It was an incredible evening!

 

My front row seat at the talk!