High & Low - John Galliano

John Galliano was one of the most influential fashion designers of the 1990s and 2000s. In 2011, footage filmed at a Paris cafe showed him drunk, speaking admiringly of Hitler and hurling antisemitic abuse at the people at the table. He lost the Dior job he had held for fourteen years, was found guilty on two counts in court, and paid a fine of six thousand euros. Kevin Macdonald's documentary is not content to retell the incident; it asks where forgiveness ends. Galliano speaks straight to camera about his childhood, his substance abuse and those nights. Naomi Campbell, Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful describe how the fashion world responded. The film also shows where Galliano is now: after a long period in recovery he has been creative director of Maison Margiela since 2014. It was released on 8 March 2024. Who it's for: Anyone interested in fashion history and in stories of public disgrace and return. Who it's not for: The film gives Galliano a great deal of the floor and at times reads as a defence. The voices of the people the abuse was aimed at come through weakly.