(Designers)
John Galliano & Zara Are Trying Something New Together
The legendary designer is back.
One of the fashion greats is officially returning to the forefront, teaming up with Zara. On March 17, news broke that the Spanish retailer inked a two-year creative partnership with British designer John Galliano. According to a statement, “Mr. Galliano will be working directly with garments from Zara’s past seasons, deconstructing and reconfiguring them into new seasonal expressions and creations.” The rollout will begin in September 2026 — just in time for the Fall/Winter season. This marks the designer’s return to the spotlight after a two year hiatus.
If you’re unfamiliar with Galliano himself, there’s a better chance you’ve seen his body of work. As the first British designer to lead a French couture house in 1995, Galliano began breaking barriers early on. In two seasons at Givenchy and after becoming the first person to win four British Designer of the Year awards, the visionary was appointed to the house of Dior in 1996 — and it changed everything.
The creative director spent 15 years leading the label (whilst still designing men and women’s collections for his own namesake line), pushing boundaries while always remaining true to original house codes. Galliano drew inspiration from architecture, the female form, and even Hollywood. His very first ready-to-wear collection was titled “Dior Pin-ups,” as an homage to figures like Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, and Chinese models circa the 1930s.
His legacy at Dior still remains.
Galliano is credited with introducing the iconic Saddle Bag on the Spring/Summer 2000 runway, which is still a staple of the French maison. One of Dior’s longest standing ambassadors, Charlize Theron, was appointed by Galliano as the face of the J’Adore campaign in 2004.
Before his time at Dior came to an end following an infamous anti-semitic rant (which he has since apologized for), Galliano designed gowns that went down in history for some of the most famous women in the world, including Princess Diana, Celine Dion, and Nicole Kidman. Years later he would go on to make a comeback at Maison Margiela, where he remained for ten years, until 2024.
Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Margot Robbie still wear archival Galliano designs on the world’s biggest stages. Kardashian most recently wore a baby blue satin gown from the Spring/Summer 2000 line to celebrate her 45th birthday on the red carpet. Robbie stunned in two back-to-back vintage Galliano looks, this time from his namesake label in the ’90s, during her Wuthering Heights press tour marathon just last month.
In a continuation of the press release statement from Zara, Galliano is said to “re-author the brand’s archives through a series of seasonal collections.” Nobody knows the power of reinvention quite like Galliano.
