In art history, art is commonly separated by significant world changing events. For example, today’s art, or contemporary art, as it’s commonly known, is often described as post-war art, alluding to all art made after World War II (1939-1945). It makes sense therefore to truly understand the moment we live in, one has to look back to the beginning.
Taking two points in time: the present and the war that started it all, John Galliano presented the Maison Margiela SS2020 ‘Dé-filé’ Co-ed collection in Paris. Perhaps the most striking sentiment Galliano shared when describing his inspiration was this: ‘Stories of hope, heroines, and liberation are forgotten as history draws ever closer to repetition.’
The collection embodies the house’s codes of deconstructionism but for this collection informs a certain sense of liberation by portraying characters…the fighters and heroes that fought for the Allied forces against Nazism. Tailoring and patterns are undone or exposed in a way that recalls the horrors of war.
The trench coat is perhaps the most interesting protagonist in the collection as it takes a nearly virtual form. The trench coat was a staple and arguably the singular symbol of the frontlines of WWII. Galliano, it seems, has reinterpreted its past through the present as a sort of digital ghost.
The drumbeat of war is certainly one the media has portrayed lately. It goes without saying, Galliano has fired the first warning shot. Explore the full collection below. Images courtesy of Maison Margiela.
