John Galliano  

One of the premier designers in the current fashion world, John Galliano has accrued countless praise and honors. Favorite to some of Hollywood’s notoriously well-dressed actresses, Galliano is perennially present on the most visible red carpets, including the Oscars.

Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano, known professionally as John Galliano, was born November 28, 1960 in Gibraltar. He is of Spanish descent on his mother’s side, while his father is from Gibraltar. When he was still a young child, the family relocated to London where he attended Wilson’s School located in Wallington.

By 1984, Galliano had earned his degree in fashion design from St Martin’s School of Arts. His crowning achievement upon graduating was the French Revolution inspired collection, Les Incroyables. It was an instant success with the critics. The high end London boutique Browns was the first to buy and sell the line in its entirety.

Riding off this success, Galliano began his own self-titled label. By 1987, he already made such an impact on the fashion world that he was named British Designer of the Year. He would go on to claim this honor again in 1994 and 1995. In 1997, it was awarded jointly to Galliano and Alexander McQueen.

By 1990, Galliano desired a change of scenery and pace. He found what he was looking for when he moved to Paris. Continuing his design work to high acclaim, it wasn’t long before his talents were put to use at an established design house.

In 1995, he made history when he was named the head designer of Givenchy. Appointed by Bernard Arnault, owner of LVMH, he became the first British designer at the helm of an exclusively French haute couture house.

Impressed with his work, Galliano was given a prestigious promotion in 1996 when he was moved to the quintessentially French design house of Christian Dior.

Galliano is deeply affected by theater and femininity, both of which he says play a large role in his design. He cites Charlize Theron as one of his main inspirations, and she is often seen wearing his designs on the red carpet for numerous occasions. Other notable celebrities who sport his looks are Kate Moss, Cate Blanchett, and Nicole Kidman.

In addition to couture, Galliano was also involved in the J’Adore ad campaign as well as the Miss Dior Cherie perfume, fronted by Riley Keough.

Splitting his time between Dior and his own label, Galliano maintains a grueling schedule of producing six distinct couture lines annually.

Making his mark in pop culture, many believe the Derelicte line from fictional designer Mugatu, played by Will Ferrell in Zoolander, was based on Galliano’s 2000 boho-meets-hobo line.

He also appeared in the 1996 documentary Catwalk beside fashion elite Christy Turlington, Giorgio Armani, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Anna Wintour, and others.

A proponent of an orderly and focused life, Galliano rises every day at 6 in the morning to run six miles around the Seine River and complete an intense aerobic workout.