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What do we know about the John Galliano x Zara collaboration?
After a decade of discreet creation at Maison Margiela, John Galliano is stepping back into the fashion spotlight with a surprising partnership. For two years, the British couturier will designe collections for the Spanish brand Zara.
John Galliano’s slow return to the fashion world
As one of the most iconic and influential figures in the history of fashion, John Galliano continues, even today, to inspire countless designers. Better still, his creations for Dior and for his own label now resell at outrageous prices. They are worn by celebrities on red carpets and at major cultural events. The free-spirited British designer left his mark on 1990s and 2000s fashion. At the time, he briefly was creative director at Givenchy in 1995, then at Dior.
Between 1996 and 2011, John Galliano reshaped Dior’s aesthetic. While remaining faithful to its codes and heritage, he also got rid of convention, staging theatrical runway shows fed by his eclectic imagination. He drew as much from his cosmopolitan childhood in Battersea, on the outskirts of London, as from his experience designing costumes for theatre. Success came almost immediately for him. Princess Diana wore one of his very first Dior dresses, while actresses and socialites alike embraced his designs.
But a scandal soon tarnished his brilliant career… Accused of racism and antisemitism, the designer was dismissed from his position in March 2011. Then, he gradually withdrew from the fashion world. He made a discreet return three years later as creative director of Maison Margiela, before leaving his position in 2024. Although he had given a handful of interviews — speaking at times about his addictions and time in rehab — John Galliano has remained discreet and silent for over a decade.
From Ludovic de Saint Sernin to Steven Meisel: Zara’s new strategy
The surprise that comes from his appointment within the Zara ready-to-wear group is therefore complete. While Galliano’s name has largely lingered as a reminder of Dior’s golden age — Jonathan Anderson has alluded to that era in his recent collections — his influence, or rather shadow, depending on one’s point of view, now takes on a more tangible form.
Besides, Zara is quite accustomed to this strategy. After several collaborations with Stefano Pilati and Ludovic de Saint Sernin, the Spanish brand designed the stage costume worn by singer Bad Bunny for his Super Bowl 2026 halftime show last January. This growing influence in the fashion world is further reinforced by campaigns featuring models, such as Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Kaia Gerber, often captured by renowned photographers, like Steven Meisel. It is a well-honed strategy that allows Zara to move upmarket and, in doing so, attract a new clientele—if not at the risk of alienating another.
The news of John Galliano’s arrival at the brand is thus part of this aesthetic and commercial repositioning. While he is, of course, not becoming the artistic director of Zara’s collections, the British designer is nonetheless entering into a two-year “creative partnership.”
Over the course of this very unexpected collaboration, he will draw on the Spanish brand’s archives, whose designs themselves often take inspiration from the wardrobes of luxury houses, to create seasonal capsule collections. The first one will be released in September 2026, to the delight the designer’s devotees. However, it may also spark many negative reactions on social media, where fashion influencers and some journalists have been quick to remind everyone about the scandals that overshadowed Galliano in the early 2010s, as well as the ethical issues surrounding the Spanish fast fashion company.
