Galliano's exit from Maison Margiela: What does this mean for the industry and for the brand?

After 10 years of serving as the creative director at Maison Margiela the renowned designer, John Galliano, left the house of Maison Margiela. But what does this mean for the industry?

The exit of John Galliano from Maison Margiela was a huge hit to the fashion industry. The industry was dwindling from its past life already as Dries van Noten left his own brand after 38 years of serving the industry and proving that he, himself, is a legendary designer. Hedi leaving YSL, Michelle leaving Gucci has already left a sour taste in my mouth, and now Galliano who has also had a massive impact on the industry, has now left Margiela. The industry, to me, is slowly falling apart. This exit by Galliano, one of the biggest designers, from one of the biggest houses in the entire world, although I hate to say it, brought in so much money for the brand through mass marketing, and campaigning is finally gone. I really do wonder where the brand is going to go now. I respect Galliano and his decision to leave. I just hope that he takes a break for a while and lives the rest of his life in a grand house in rural France. With that being said, the house of Margiela will fall apart. It will become the next McQueen, Balenciaga, and will eventually fully lose all of the merit behind the brand. The pedigree that has been established at Margiela, in recent years, has disappeared to me. Mass marketing tactics, the hype behind the tabi, the designs that are overall unappealing, especially the tabi silhouettes, and just in general the fascination by Margiela that comes from people who buy into the brand simply because it is hype and has trendy design. It has just gotten too much. The house that was once a statement against so many different ideas and techniques, now boiled down to a mass fund for the abundant. There is just nothing special about Margiela anymore. The raw anti fashion, grotesque absurd but yet understandable appeal. The design that pushed fashion norms. Of course those challenges that challenged norms are now the norms, the Margiela uniform is now so bland. I am rarely jubilant when I see a new season. There are very few seasons that I enjoyed under his tenure. The hype was there, but I was not. The designs are overhyped, overplayed, and revitalized and seen as new every season when that is just not the case. The tabi was the thing that destroyed me the most. Seeing takes on the tabi that are just ugly. The tabi rain boot? What the fuck was that? Even independent designers on the tabi like the tabi Timberland? What the actual fuck? The only good tabi is the painted tabi, and the pump. That is it. With Galliano being gone all I can see is more of this mass marketing scaling tactics as well as more infuriation from my side. A brand should end the second its main designer leaves. That is how every brand should be. Ann has been tainted, Dries I hope will not be tainted, when Yohji dies I hope it will not be tainted either although I think it is pretty easy to create a Yohji Yamamoto collection, but naturally there will be something missing. The only exception that I can see could be Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garcons as she has fostered designers that are similar to her under her own brand. But even then she is so special and unique that no one can understand her. Not Noir, not Tao, not Junya, What Margiela needs more than anything is new life. A new body. A young body that will helm the house with pride and actual justice. Not just another famous designer that will be a suck up. A rebel who is against everything. Even Rosso himself. But that will never happen. Rosso will never appoint someone who will not make him sales. The designer that comes in will also need an ambitious team. A team that also has a love for the industry and a love for the house of Maison Martin Margiela. Not Maison Margiela. I have no clue who that person could be. If it is inside of the house that could be perfect, but Rosso should not pull an Antonioli, find an outside designer, bring them in, and they are just nothing to what Margiela is. Whether that's Martin Margiela, or Galliano’s Margiela. There cannot be a designer that destroys the brand even further and makes it even more appalling. With all of this in mind, I wish the best for everyone who likes Maison Margiela and supports the brand as you might not enjoy what you are going to get coming up. So go to the sample sale right now if you can, get your cheap Margiela, and get your Don Julios and pour up.