High & Low: John Galliano

In fashion, there’s no room for nuance: you’re a hero, a villain, a demigod, or a nobody. Galliano has had the time to be a young prodigy, a genius, a pariah, and rehabilitated. This is his controversial story.

John Galliano didn’t just enter the world of fashion—he stormed into it. A graduate of Saint Martins with a stunning debut collection, he quickly established his own label, earned awards as a rising star, was mentored by the most powerful voices in fashion, and eventually landed at Givenchy, then Dior, where he unleashed his brilliance, imagination, and historical references. Interviews and archival footage are enriched by insights from Anna Wintour, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Charlize Theron, and Penélope Cruz, who share their connections to the designer. Exuberance, design lessons, indefensible controversies, addictions, and a subsequent disappearance, redemption, and reinvention at Maison Margiela. A life full of lessons learned.