John Galliano

John Charles Galliano (born 28 November 1960) is a British fashion designer known for his work leading prominent fashion houses. He served as the creative director of his eponymous label John Galliano, as well as the French haute couture houses Givenchy and Christian Dior. He later served a ten-year tenure as the creative director of Paris-based fashion house Maison Margiela.

Galliano was born in Gibraltar to a Gibraltarian father of Italian descent and a Spanish mother. His family moved to England when he was six years old, settling in South London, where he was raised in a strict Roman Catholic household. He attended St. Anthony's Primary School and Wilson's Grammar School before studying at Central Saint Martins. He graduated in 1984 with a first-class honours degree in Fashion Design; his French Revolution-inspired graduating collection, Les Incroyables, was purchased in its entirety by the London boutique Browns.

Following graduation, Galliano launched his own label in London alongside collaborators Amanda Harlech and Stephen Jones. After experiencing financial difficulties and bankruptcy, he relocated to Paris in 1989. In 1995, luxury goods conglomerate LVMH appointed him head designer of Givenchy, making him the first British designer to head a French haute couture house. The following year, LVMH moved him to Christian Dior, where his collections earned critical acclaim and produced major designs such as the Dior Saddle bag.

Between late 2010 and early 2011, Galliano was involved in incidents at a Paris bar involving antisemitic and racist remarks. The incidents led to his suspension and dismissal from Dior, and in September 2011, a Paris court found him guilty of public insults based on origin, race, or religion. After completing a temporary residency at Oscar de la Renta's design studio in 2013, Galliano returned to leading a fashion house in October 2014 as the creative director of Maison Margiela, a position he held until December 2024.

In March 2026, Zara announced a two-year creative partnership with Galliano to re-author archive pieces. A planned Spring 2027 retrospective of his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was canceled in August 2026 following renewed criticism regarding his 2011 remarks. Over his career, Galliano has been named British Designer of the Year four times, was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2001, and was voted the fifth most influential person in British culture in a 2004 BBC poll.