THREAD GALLERY Clothing

A John Galliano spencer jacket and oversized shirt pair, fall-winter 1985 'The Ludic Games'. These incredibly rare and early garments, worn together, are from Galliano's first runway show—his third collection. The collection inspired by Angela Carter’s 1984 novel, Nights at the Circus, juxtaposed London’s East End costermongers with rebellious farmers from the English countryside. The spencer jacket is cut bust-length and wide over the shoulders, designed by Galliano to be worn inside out and upside down. Made from navy jumbo needlecord it features Galliano’s signature broad, irregularly-notched lapels and elongated sleeves—a staple in his designs from this era. The definitive feature of this jacket however, are the two hanging wine corks wrapped in twine, used as a decorative fastener. On the backside, a striped flannelette fabric is used, symbolising the image of a country mother taking her children to school whilst still in her pyjamas. The oversized shirt was a main feature of this collection, worn on its own as well as underneath the spencer jackets. This particular shirt is made of flannelette in two tones, light blue and beige. It features an asymmetrical design with the placket turning diagonally three buttons down at the waist. Seams at the backside of the garment also follow this direction creating a triangular pointed pocket on the left hip. This technique was reused in skirts for Galliano’s first collection at Christian Dior in 1997. Both garments feature the iconic Galliano '1' label only found in garments from this period. Due to their rarity, pieces featuring this label are often only found in museum collections. Jackets of this style feature in the following: John Galliano, The Ludic Game, catwalk invitation, 1985 The Face, June, London, 1985, p.3 Kerry Taylor...

A Vivienne Westwood “Grand Hotel” T-shirt, Spring-Summer 1993. Similar to her portrait printed garments debuted in Autumn-Winter 1990, the painting ‘Hercules and Omphale’ by Francois Boucher (c. 1732-1734) is featured across the entirety of the garment.

Alexander McQueen 'It's a Jungle Out There' men's blue pinstripe cargo trousers, fall-winter 1997. Worn in look 24, this garment is a rare example of McQueen's early menswear and Saville Row training. These skills learned during his apprenticeship are evident in the trouser's pleated front, button fly, and the immaculate fit of the garment...

Gucci by Tom Ford men's tan leather motorcycle pants, fall-winter 2000. Shown in both the men's and women's runway shows of this season, these pa...

A Matthew Barney Cremaster 2 long sleeve t-shirt, circa 1999. This incredibly rare t-shirt was made in a limited edition for the 'Cremaster 2: The Drones' Exposition' film exhibit at...

A John Galliano pinstripe vest, spring-summer 1986 'Fallen Angels'. This incredibly rare and early garment is from Galliano's second runway show—his fourth collection. Featuring a rounded collar and mini lapel, the standout feature of this vest is the trio of swirling 'Fimo' plasticene buttons crafted by artist Dave Baby. Reflecting Galliano's student work experience with Savile Row tailor Tommy Nutter...

A Christian Dior by John Galliano ‘’Dior’s Little Sweetheart Pin-Ups” navy skirt, fall-winter 1997. Crafted from a luxurious silk brocade, this skirt is a testament to the exquisite craftsmanship of the Christian Dior atelier. Black floral lace vents are nestled beneath the skirt's pleats, revealing their intricacy as the garment...

A John Galliano mink and cashmere cropped trench coat, fall-winter 1997 ‘Suzy Sphinx’. This elegant hip length coat is crafted from black cashmere that i...

A Dolce & Gabbana lace-up long sleeve top, Fall-Winter 2003. This garment subverts edgy and gothic details to create a stylistic and glamorous garment. Crafted from the finest matte ...

This John Galliano powder blue skirt suit is from his Spring-Summer 1999 collection. The shimmery floral brocade fabric of the suit is incredibly elegant. The jacket is made of the ...

A World's End by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren "Witches" dress, Fall-Winter 1983. This rare and important dress features experimental construction that creates an incomparabl...

This Vivienne Westwood gold-painted denim jacket is from the Spring-Summer 1993 ‘Grand Hotel’ collection. Made from cotton denim, this jacket features a metallic gold coating that gi...

A John Galliano wool coat, spring-summer 1996 ‘L’École de Danse’. This sophisticated calf length coat is crafted from black wool gabardine, which gives ...

This John Galliano single-breasted loose jacket from Fall-Winter 1987 ‘The Rose Collection’ is an important example of the designers craftsmanship and design. Made from black wool ...

This John Galliano runway ensemble from Spring-Summer 1988 ‘Blanche Dubois’ combines two main themes from the collection: the bow and polonaise skirt. The bodice is made of cotton with rigilene boning and features a large frontal bow, the hero style of the collection. The bow not only serves as a design element but also allows the wearer to rest their arms inside the bow loops, creating a distinctive silhouette. This was worn in the opening look of the show and was also depicted in the backdrop of the runway in an illustrated portrait of Marlene Dietrich. The skirt is comprised of a high-waisted boned mid-section with a corresponding belt, and a draped navy gabardine skirt. Inspired by the robe à la polonaise of 18th century France, the skirt features a ‘Blown Away’ hem which is caught into a band with button holes. This allows for customisable polonaise folds and drapes by buttoning the hem to the underside of the garment at different heights. This unique and customisable element of the garment, along with the movement of the drapes when worn, showcases Galliano’s romantic design sensibility. The exceptional design and construction of this John Galliano ‘Blanche...

This John Galliano skirt is from the autumn-winter 1985 collection, titled ‘The Ludic Game’. It holds special significance as it was Galliano’s first commercial collection with a run...

This Comme Des Garcons satin jersey dress from the Fall-Winter 1986 Bias Cutting collection is a great example of the brand’s innovative approach to fashion design. Renowned for thei...

A Thierry Mugler Monogrammed Denim Jacket, circa 1998. This garment is one of very few pieces that feature the Thierry Mugler monogram. Additional to the monogram, another iconic des...