The most influential fashion designer of his generation, John Galliano has an exceptional flair for the theatrical—his runway shows are often likened to performance art. Now, his unrestrained sense of fantasy and drama can be found in his new collection of fine jewellery
By Cynthia Unninayar, Editor-in-Chief
John Galliano launched his own fashion label in 1984, creating historically-inspired designs infused with a contemporary edge. Part romantic and part rebel, Galliano’s trademark quickly became his delicate bias-cut gowns and wonderfully tailored suits. In 1987, the Gibraltar-born designer won the first of several British Designer of the Year awards. In 1990, he moved from Britain to Paris, and in 1995, he was hired to revitalize the stuffy house of Givenchy, greatly surprising the French fashion establishment with his romantic vision of dishevelled lovelies in chiffon slips and billowing gowns. The following year, Galliano became chief designer at Dior, France’s haute couture flagship, a position he still holds in addition to managing his own brand.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the house of John Galliano is launching its fine jewellery collection in the United States with stunning new pieces that capture the fashion and fantasy of Galliano’s spirit. The pieces are designed by Galliano himself and are produced in collaboration with noted Italian jeweller Valente Milano and distributed by Opera Jewels.
“People want to invest in the dream, in the name, so I have kept our inspiration true to the essence of Galliano. We have combined beauty, romance, and adventure—all the things I love—into our three key themes,” explains John Galliano. “Jewellery is an investment in craftsmanship, rather than following trends. I wanted to develop three themes that are very much part of the Galliano DNA—the dagger, the flower, and the coin.”
Exotic backdrops are the norm for John Galliano’s fashion shows. Here the model is wearing a “Dagger” pendant. |
“Dagger” pendant with pirate pearls, white and black diamonds, pink sapphires, and a drop of ruby red blood at its tip. |
The Dagger collection - “I am an adventurer,” Galliano says. “Travel is one of my greatest inspirations. I like to think of myself as a pirate of life. The dagger is a very Galliano symbol of bravery, courage, daring, and dazzle.” Following his research into pirate treasure chests and ending with the famous dagger of Topkapi, Galliano created a Dagger collection that features a white gold signet ring, inset with black and white diamonds and blood red rubies, as well as Dagger earrings in white gold, inset with black and white diamonds. Among the necklaces is a classic strand piece inspired by an English rose garden—thorns and beauty—complete with pirate pearls, white and black diamonds, and red rubies, supporting a dagger with a drop of ruby red blood at its tip.
“Dagger” earrings in white gold, white and black diamonds, and pink sapphires. |
“Dagger” signet ring with white and black diamonds and pink sapphires in white gold. |
The Flower collection - For the romantic feminine side of Galliano, he created a beautiful Flower collection. “I love sending and receiving flowers. I wanted to capture the delicacy and romance of flowers in bloom,” he muses. “Now, I have a collection that has blossomed into diamonds, sapphires, and gold—it’s so Galliano.” The pieces include a pink flower ring, delicate earrings, and small pendants in white gold, pink sapphire pavé, and diamonds. Large stones on the main flower nestle on petals of tourmaline, rhodolite, and amethyst. A small central flower is made of blue sapphires and is set off with a glittering Galliano G set in diamonds on the chain.
“Flower” sapphire, white coral, and diamond ring |
“Flower” sapphire, white coral and diamond earrings |
The Coin collection - “Another symbol of adventure, travel, of riches lost and riches found, the coin reminds me of my childhood, of far away lands and treasures to be found,” adds Galliano. A symbol of exchange and of passage from one person to another, a coin has its own life, its own story. The Coin collection features rings and pendants. In some of the rings, the Galliano coat of arms is engraved on a silver or jet coin set in yellow gold. An oversized silver coin pendant with black diamonds hangs from a yellow gold chain, with onyx stones and “knots” in the chain. Clearly, these lovely John Galliano Coins are too precious to use for stamping a wax-sealed treasure map.
| “Coin” ring with the John Galliano coat of arms on the top of a jet coin set in pink gold with sapphires, also available with a silver coin in white gold. |
Fashion’s great romantic -
“I am thrilled the jewellery line is growing and attracting attention. I think it shows another side to Galliano. I love that we are creating treasure of our own,” concludes John Galliano. The success of both his fashion and jewellery lines is not surprising since John Galliano is one of fashion’s great romantics. From his fantastical outfits to his colourful background and personality, Galliano’s rise to fame is like a fairy tale. His genius is his ability to communicate this romanticism through his clothes, and now also through The Gems of John Galliano.
