John Galliano to reportedly exit Margiela

The musical chairs of creative directors continues. This time, it appears that John Galliano is preparing to step down from the helm of Maison Margiela, a Parisian house he has creatively led for 10 years.

It is believed that Galliano is set to make his official exit in the autumn of this year, a source for Fashionnetwork said, having decided to not renew his contract despite requests from executives.

A spokesperson for the brand’s parent company, OTB, told the media outlet: “As you know – and it is normal in our industry – there are always a lot of rumours when creative talents are concerned.

“We never comment on them. All we can say is that relations between John Galliano, Maison Margiela and our group chairman Renzo Rosso, are very good.”

Speculation about Galliano’s next step has already begun circulating online as many fashion houses are currently operating without a creative director following a slew of departures over the last year.

While Fashionnetwork said we could next see the veteran designer at Fendi, citing reports from insiders, Miss Tweed suggested Galliano could be making his way over to the LVMH-owned Dior.

Since his appointment at Margiela, Galliano has been widely praised for his theatrical takes on the fashion house’s heritage. His efforts also seem to be paying off financially, at a time when the current state of the industry has been less favourable for the luxury sector.

In its latest fiscal year report, OTB said Margiela’s turnover for the year to December 31, 2024, rose by 23 percent, driven by the Chinese and Korean markets, where sales were up 72.4 percent against 2022.