Well, I was discussing last light at dinner the case of John Galliano’s course at Parson’s being cancelled, and the news, despite if it truly is, sound once again as another punishment for this super-talented designer who shook the world with his outrageous creations. And I’m just wondering; Isn’t it enough punishment for a fashion genius, who’s by nature provocative and just happened to say a few things while drunk? Was Alexander McQueen and his ‘savage’ collections, which we all admired at the record-breaking Met Exhibition, less annoying and disturbing with the messages he was sending to the mass audience through them? Great people in fashion, always push it to the limits, and always are sort of provocative, challenging general notions of what is good, nice, or beautiful. I’ve heard that John is one of them… He uses aphorisms and subversive mottos, not in a way to harm somebody but just to cause reaction. Even drunk, in that sense, he has achieved his goal, stirring great reaction, and after that taking full responsibility of his courage or frenzy, and apologizing for things he didn’t truly mean.
So isn’t it the time to get more open-minded and stop rejecting people who are daring enough to be different? Galliano is very playful, and in his own manner, just wants to tease people. He’s not a fanatic. People who right now are rejecting him are far more extreme and far more disturbed. I know that it’s wounds from the past, but we have to be sensible and really understand who’s dangerous and who’s not. And I repeat; Is John a more dangerous example than Alexander McQueen and his AW 1995 Highland Rape collection, that stirred much of reaction too, or the story about McQueen’s suicide, attracting much of sympathy and making the latest pass from the ‘devil’ to the ‘saint’ status in the always more tolerant world of fashion? When we are talking about geniuses, we always find the extremes, the contrasts, and the paradox. They are people who sometimes can be called weird, obsessed and dreamy. But we all love what their peculiar personality produces, the clothes and accessories we wear or would dream to wear! Why not give them the chance to astonish us once more?
