John Charles Galliano

Place: Gibraltar

Born: 1960

Biography:

John Charles Galliano is a British fashion designer born in Gibraltar. He was the creative director of his eponymous label John Galliano and French fashion houses Givenchy and Dior. Since 2014, Galliano has been the creative director of Paris-based fashion house Maison Margiela. Galliano has been named British Designer of the Year four times. In a 2004 poll for the BBC, he was named the fifth most influential person in British culture. Galliano was raised in a strict Catholic family in South London and studied at Central Saint Martins, graduating in 1984 with a first class honours degree in Fashion Design. His graduating collection was inspired by the French Revolution and entitled Les Incroyables. The collection received positive reviews and was bought in its entirety for resale in the London fashion boutique Browns. Galliano was appointed head designer of Givenchy in 1995, thus becoming the first British designer to head a French haute couture house. He has been named British Designer of the Year four times and in a 2004 poll for the BBC, he was named the fifth most influential person in British culture.