Tommy Nutter

Known for introducing rich theatricality and memorable fashion spectacles to the runway, John Galliano has enjoyed a singular career. The audacious British designer has garnered universal acclaim for genre-breaking collections not only at his eponymous label but also for Givenchy and Christian Dior.

From his embroidered absinthe-green Oscars gown for actress Nicole Kidman to the iconic sleeveless newspaper-print dress that Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw made famous, Galliano’s intricate and multifaceted work is reliably newsworthy, drawing on history as often as it embodies a fresh and forward-looking sensibility, and over the years the designer has helped shape an ever-broadening new legion of enthusiasts for Parisian couture.

Born in Gibraltar but raised in South London by strict Roman Catholic working-class parents, Galliano attended the all-boys Church of England grammar school, where his flamboyance and interest in art attracted the attention of bullies. Eventually, Galliano ended up at the prestigious design and art school Central Saint Martins College (then called Saint Martin’s School of Art), where fellow British designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen also trained.

Galliano flourished at Central Saint Martins. While a student, he worked in the costume department at the National Theatre in London. His graduate collection in 1984, dubbed “Les Incroyables” and named for post–French Revolution fashion lovers, was modeled by close friends of his and earned a standing ovation. The line ended up in the storefront windows of London luxury boutique Brown’s on South Molton Street, and Galliano’s first official collection — after he graduated — debuted at Paris Fashion Week in 1989.

In the early 1990s, Galliano’s relationship with his financial backer, Plein Sud’s Faycal Amor, ended, and by 1994, he was broke and sleeping on the floor of a friend’s apartment. Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and then-Vanity Fair editor André Leon Talley stepped in and introduced the budding designer to Portuguese socialite and fashion patron São Schlumberger and others. At Schlumberger’s Hôtel Particulier, Galliano’s shows became the stuff of fashion legend. His collection, a blend of Japanese modernist style as well as nostalgia for Art Deco and 1940s’ tailoring, earned raves in glossy magazines and garnered the attention of Princess Diana, Madonna and other fashion luminaries.

Once the Galliano name was well known among the world’s most stylish set, the chairperson of LVMH, Bernard Arnault, appointed Galliano head designer of French fashion house Givenchy. One year later, in 1996, LVMH moved him to the design team at Dior, where he produced scores of celebrated looks for Dior Haute Couture. Today, Galliano is the creative director of Maison Margiela.

Shop vintage John Galliano evening dresses and gowns, handbags, jackets and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.

No matter if you’re preparing for a fashion event or a weather event — you’re going to need a good jacket.

What would become the modern jacket as we know it began as a strictly professional item. A lot of the vintage and designer jackets (and coat styles such as the Navy-inspired peacoat) in our closets were likely popularized by soldiers who battled aggressive climes with their regulation field jackets, bombers and parkas buttoned or zipped to the chin. Indeed, keeping troopers comfortable guided the design of the military surplus garments that have often become buzzy fashion trends. But now, jackets add far more than warmth to our wardrobe, and we hunt down outer layers branded with peerless fashion labels.

Fashion’s most iconic creations, despite their age, remain modern: Biker jackets originated in the 1920s, Balenciaga’s celebrated puffers are steeped in a tradition of down coats that began in the 1930s and your vintage denim jacket has come an even longer way, from California Gold Rush to wardrobe staple. Jeans bequeathed jean jackets during the 1880s, thanks to Levi Strauss, who crafted the former as a durable garment to be worn by miners and railroad workers. Later, jeans and jean jackets became synonymous with nonconformity and rebelliousness — with fashion legends such as actor James Dean in the 1950s and model Veruschka in the 1960s and ’70s leading the indigo-toned charge.

Another fashion rebel, Coco Chanel, used the classic tweed jacket to introduce more comfort and mobility into women’s daily lives. Debuting in 1954 and based on a cardigan, the groundbreaking Chanel jacket forever changed what women wear. The garment reacted against the fitted, constricting styles of Christian Dior’s New Look, which, as Chanel saw it, was making women dress like decorative objects.

On 1stDibs, find bold collections from cutting-edge contemporary designers who’ve taken the classic silhouette of the jacket to new heights or build out your array of vintage treasures (denim or otherwise) with dazzlers from Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace, Moschino and more.