Risqu Business

WWD

PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI

In her spring collection, Stella McCartney took the ultimate in cozy a sweater stretched into a dress and gave it a sensual makeover with daring, hip-exposing cutouts and fl irty, thigh-high slits. Other designers embraced the strategic cutout, too. For more, see pages 4 and 5.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014 $3.00 WOMENS WEAR DAILY

FIVE PEOPLE WERE INDICTED

IN AN IDENTITY-THEFT SCHEME

AUTHORITIES SAID WAS

AN INSIDE JOB. PAGE 2

SAKS THEFT RING

TRENDSPRING 2015

COLLECTIONS

WAL-MARTS WAYTHE RETAIL GIANT IS

LEADING THE CHARGE IN

THE MADE IN AMERICA

RESURGENCE. PAGE 12

ALL ABOUT

ELSAA NEW BIOGRAPHY EXAMINES THE MANY

SIDES OF THE FAMED DESIGNER. PAGE 14

By MILES SOCHA

PARIS When Renzo Rosso acquired Maison Martin Margiela in 2002, it was described as a wedding of fashions Greta Garbo with Harpo Marx.

On Monday, Rosso surprised the fashion world again by appointing John Galliano, one of fashions most fl amboyant and controversial fi gures, to take over the creative direction of Margiela, founded by an intensely secretive Belgian designer.

The appointment telegraphed Rossos daring approach to the fashion business and raised questions about how one of the industrys great romantics might interpret a house built on avant-garde ideas like deconstruction.

It confi rmed widespread market speculation that Galliano was headed to the Paris-based company, de-spite recent denials during Milan Fashion Week by Rosso, whose group, OTB, controls Margiela via a sub-sidiary called Neuf.

Margiela is ready for a new charismatic cre-ative soul, said Rosso, president of OTB. John Galliano is one of the great-est, undisputed talents of all time a unique, excep-tional couturier for a mai-son that always challenged and innovated the world of fashion. I look forward to his return to create that fashion dream that only he can create and wish him to here fi nd his new home.

Galliano, 53, has been sit-ting on the sidelines since being ousted from Christian Dior and his signature fash-ion house in 2011. It is un-derstood he will take over the design leadership of all Margiela lines, including couture and the womens and mens ready-to-wear.

He is expected to show his fi rst designs for the house in January during Paris Couture Week.

The development marks the return of one of con-temporary fashions most acclaimed talents, absent from the runways following racist and anti-Semitic outbursts that precipitated one of the most spectacu-lar fl ameouts in recent history.

It also represents something of an about-face for Margiela, whose Belgian founder was often described as the industrys invisible man for his Greta Garbo-like ways. Following his retirement in 2009, the house left an anonymous team to carry on his legacy, stead-fastly refusing to identify any its members.

Prized for his ultrafeminine, historically inspired designs, and a particular penchant for bias-cut gowns, Galliano is hardly an obvious choice for a house known for cleft-toed boots, deconstructed fashions and all-white stores.

Yet the British fashion maverick has wide experi-ence designing different kinds of collections, includ-ing more casual ranges for women and men under his now-defunct Galliano second line, known for its news-paper prints, distressed leathers and denim.

Despite the outcry that precipitated Gallianos downfall at Dior, early industry reactions to his ap-pointment at Margiela were mainly positive.

Wow, said Joan Burstein, founder and owner of Browns in London, who famously bought the entire collection Galliano produced upon graduating from Central Saint Martins in 1984.

Those who have nothing against [Galliano] will be happy hes back in the fashion world, and those who arent happy wont be happy. Browns wishes him happiness as well as great success and we will follow whatever he does with great interest, Burstein added.

COURTING CONTROVERSY

Margielas New Man:Rosso Taps Galliano

SEE PAGES 6 AND 7

Renzo Rosso

John Galliano

6 WWD TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014

I think this will revolutionize the brand, said Averyl Oates, fashion director at Galeries Lafayette.

Although controversial, there is no doubt that Galliano has great energy and is an undisputed visionary. He has a wide repertoire even if he is better known for his theatrical flair, and no doubt they will find a way to bridge his style with the fa-miliar signature deconstruction of the Margiela house, she added.

Jonathan Newhouse, chairman and chief ex-ecutive officer of Cond Nast International, said, I am delighted that John is returning to the fashion world at Margiela. He is one of the great design talents of our day. He is in terrific form and it will be exciting to see what he creates.

Last year, the publishing executive told British Vogue that after Galliano went into re-covery, he had formed a friendship with the designer and had opened some doors to the Jewish community, introducing him to Jewish leaders and Rabbi Barry Marcus from Londons Central Synagogue.

Maria Luisa Poumaillou, fashion director at Printemps, said she was intrigued to see what the pairing of Galliano with Margiela would bring.

Its the most interesting thing Ive seen in a long time, she said. Its not immediately obvious what they have in common, except for talent.

She said enough time had passed since Gallianos firing for the industry and consum-ers to forgive and move on.

I thought it was the ugliest sacrifice of a great talent that Ive ever seen, so for me, wher-ever hes back, hes more than welcome. Im very happy for John, Poumaillou said.

She saluted Rossos guts and said the de-cision was a good fit for the brand.

The most conceptual of all fashion houses fell into the hands of the man who built Diesel, so why

shouldnt it today tap the greatest liv-ing couturier, who is unemployed? she asked. [Rosso] has already pulled it off. We are all talking about Margiela, which will stop being a niche brand in order to become front-page news.

Armand Hadida, founder of Paris concept store LEclaireur, said he bought Gallianos first collections and was excited to have him back.

I like the idea because that is what you expect from fashion and from players like Renzo Rosso its to shake things up, to give them a second lease of life. I think that without Renzo Rosso, Margiela would have closed down, he said.

The retailer, who is of Moroccan-Jewish origin, said it was time to let bygones be bygones. No one has the authority to judge anyone whatsoever. We all make mistakes and its part of our journey. The important thing is to know your mistakes and to learn to correct them, and I guarantee you that John Galliano has done that, he said.

I think we have spoken about it enough and today, I am thrilled and also very curious because that is what drives us and gives us pleasure in our work being on tenterhooks, he said. Galliano is an artist who de-serves his place and I think he will

have more openness and freedom to express his sensitivity and his talent.

OTB noted the appointment of a visionary, non-conformist talent would give significance to the icon-oclastic heritage of Margiela, and new impulse to its exciting future.

The appointment of a star de-signer like Galliano also suggests that Rosso is keen to bring more at-tention to Margiela and willing to risk a possible backlash.

Galliano was not immediately available for comment.

According to retailers, Margiela management has put the develop-ment focus on its secondary line MM6 in recent years as buzz faded around its top lines.

Rossos OTB swept in and bought a majority stake in Margiela in 2002, one of series of acquisitions aimed at building a multibrand Italian group. More recent investments in-clude Viktor & Rolf and Marni.

At the time of Margielas 20th-anniversary fashion show in Paris in 2009, the founder had gradually reduced his day-to-day involvement in the company, working mainly on special products, including the houses first fragrance under li-cense with beauty giant LOral.

While long cloaked in mystery and steeped in conceptual high-mindedness, Margiela ultimately took on a more commercial bent fol-lowing the Rosso investment, open-ing boutiques in more established neighborhoods, expanding its offer of accessories and branching out into lifestyle categories such as home decor.

Market sources estimate the company generates about 100 mil-lion euros annually, or $126 million at current exchange. It operates about 50 directly owned stores.

Upon Margielas final exit, the company explored the possibility of naming a new creative director, with Raf Simons and Haider Ackermann among those approached.

More recently, the likes of former Cline designer Ivana Omazic had cycled in and out, with London-based Marios Schwab brought in recently as a secret consultant. Industry in-siders were familiar with other key talents in the maison, particularly Christopher Booth in mens wear and Matthieu Blazy, who exited the house Oct. 1 after receiving kudos particu-larly for the Artisanal couture range, cobbled together with offbeat materi-als and vintage materials.

Rosso Taps Galliano for Margiela{Continued from page one}

John Galliano isa unique, exceptional couturier for a maison that always challenged and innovated the world of fashion.

RENZO ROSSO, OTB

Galliano fall 2009.

Dior couture spring 1997.

John Galliano Galliano

ready-to-wear spring 2003.

Gallianos debut fur collection 1998. Dior

spring 2000.

ROSSO PORTRAIT BY ANDREA DELB; GALLIANO PORTRAIT BY PATRICK DEM

ARCHELIER