John Galliano

Who is John Galliano?

John Charles Galliano was born on 28 November 1960 in Gibraltar, to a Gibraltarian father of Italian descent, Juan Galliano, and a Spanish mother, Ana Guillen, who worked as a flamenco teacher and shaped his early sense of style. The family moved to South London when he was six. Galliano studied Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins, graduating in 1984 with first-class honours; his graduate collection, "Les Incroyables," inspired by the French Revolution, was bought in its entirety by the London boutique Browns. He launched his own label with collaborators including milliner Stephen Jones, then relocated to Paris in 1989 to seek financial backing. In 1995 he was appointed head designer of Givenchy by LVMH owner Bernard Arnault, becoming the first British designer to lead a French haute couture house, before moving to Christian Dior. From 2014 to 2024 he served as creative director of Maison Margiela. He has been named British Designer of the Year four times and was ranked among the most influential figures in British culture by the BBC in 2004.

Sources: Wikipedia, "John Galliano" · Encyclopaedia Britannica, "John Galliano" · Notable Biographies, "John Galliano"