Ensemble
In this dress for Maison Margiela, John Galliano quoted Cristobal Balenciaga’s work, but employed a synthetic fabric that provided the stiffness, volume, and fluid line of the Spanish designer's favored silk gazar. The designs of Balenciaga and Galliano often achieve dramatically different shapes when viewed from varying perspectives. In this gown, the open, petal-shaped form seen in profile resolves into a smooth curtain at the front and soft waves at the back. The deep-purple bow at center back is an additional reference point, with its allusion to the knotted obi-sash of the kimono.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ensemble
- Design House: Maison Margiela (French, founded 1988)
- Designer: John Galliano (British, born Gibraltar, 1960)
- Couture Line: Artisanal (French, founded 1988)
- Date: fall/winter 2015–16
- Culture: French
- Medium: (a) synthetic, silk, metal; (b, c) leather, silk, metal, synthetic
- Credit Line: Gift of Maison Margiela, in honor of Harold Koda, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.401a–c
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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