Time for another book review! This time it’s the dual biography of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, by Dana Thomas
You might like this book if
- You enjoy biographies
- You are interested in a behind the scenes look at the fashion industry
The lives of John Galliano and Alexander McQueen share obvious parallels. Both were gifted designers who struggled with addictions and broken relationships. But they were different people with different personalities and visions. They both came from poor families, but from very different cultural backgrounds. They attended the same design school but took very different paths through fashion. Galliano was a fashion illustrator, McQueen was a Saville Row tailor.
The Introduction begins in a cafe, where an unidentified man erupts in an anti-semitic tirade. This man is John Galliano, under the influence of heavy medication. The time is almost one year to the day after his compatriot, Alexander McQueen, committed suicide. The parallel is obvious. McQueen ended his physical life. Galliano ended his career life.
The first three chapters dive into Galliano’s life, starting with his early childhood on the Mediterranean. His experiences here would often influence his work throughout his life. The story follows his life as he moves to London, his education at the design school, and his final school project, “Fallen Angels”. It continues through the early part of his career and alcohol abuse. McQueen’s early life, through his “Jack the Ripper Stalks his Victims” collection is covered in a single chapter.
From here on out, the book bounces back and forth, sometimes almost frantically, between Galliano and McQueen. The story follows them through groundbreaking fashion collections and collapsed businesses, collaborations with benefactors and broken personal relationships, and struggles with substance abuse. The parallels in their lives are obvious, so the book focuses on their differences.
Another recurring theme is the transformation of couture and luxury fashion by the Arnault family, Instagram, and fast fashion.
In later chapters, the book swerves a bit from the typical third person overview to the authors perspective through her personal experiences at shows by, and contact with, both men.
The collections and shows presented by McQueen and Galliano through the years are described in vivid detail. Photos of some of their signature garments appear in the 16 pages of photos in the book, along with photos of both men. One particularly memorable photo is a shot from a McQueen show, with the robotic arm spraying paint onto a model in a white dress.
Alexander McQueen committed suicide on February 11, 2010. But his label continues on. Perhaps the brands most famous moment was when Kate Middleton wore a McQueen wedding dress for her marriage to Prince William on April 29, 2011.
John Galliano also continued on, eventually becoming creative director for Maison Martin Margiela in 2014.
And that’s where the book ends, because it was printed in 2015.
FWIW in 2018 Galliano released his first perfume for Maison Margiela, called Mutiny. Alexander McQueen is gone forever. But, John Galliano and his career continue on.
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