In a lengthy personal statement on Instagram, Galliano said though he was leaving, he was doing so with gratitude.
“Today is the day I say Goodbye to Maison Margiela. My heart overflows with joyous gratitude, and my soul smiles. For I am 14 years old today—14 years sober.”
The designer, who once dressed Princess Diana for the Met Gala, gave no details about his next moves or who might succeed him.
“The rumors… Everyone wants to know, and everyone wants to dream. When the time is right, all will be revealed. For now, I take this time to express my immense gratitude. I continue to atone, and I will never stop dreaming.”
The 64-year-old thanked founder and president of Margiela’s parent company OTB Renzo Rosso for taking a chance on him, following a period of personal turmoil.
Galliano joined Margiela as creative director in 2014, three years after leaving Dior following the accusation he had made anti-Semitic remarks in a bar. A French court convicted him of “public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity” and fined him 6,000 Euros. He apologised for his behaviour and spent time in drug rehabilitation centre.
In the years since, the designer has gone on to success at Margiela including the spring 2024 Maison Margiela Artisanal show, that captured much attention.
The designer wrote of Rosso, “The greatest, most precious gift he gave me was the opportunity to once again find my creative voice when I had become voiceless. My wings mended, and I better understood the all-consuming act of creativity.”
He says ten years later he is ‘forever grateful’ for a second chance and a “safe space to create and build a new family that supports me with courage and dignity”.
Galliano wrote of the support and empathy he had found at the house, and though he acknowledged a reputation he can be difficult to work with, he was thankful for those that stuck by him.
“This is when the family — the fashion industry — is at its best: when we collectively support each other, not judge. When we accept, forgive, and help one another see the error of our ways. Being brave enough to unlearn, to re-educate ourselves from the past — for it is societally learnt — to share, empathize, and practice compassion.”
The designer signed off his message, ‘Johnny G.’
The role change follows a year of designer movements at top fashion houses including Chanel, Celine, Dries Van Noten, Fendi, Alberta Ferretti, Missoni, Helmut Lang and others.
The full statement:
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