Legendary designer John Galliano returns to fashion with exclusive Zara collection
John Galliano (photo: Getty Images)
After a two-year break, John Galliano is returning to active work in the fashion industry. The legendary designer has signed a two-year creative agreement with Zara, under which he will reinterpret the brand’s archives, according to Vogue.
What is known about the new collaboration
The Spanish retailer Zara has engaged John Galliano for a major new project.
The designer will work with the brand’s archives and create seasonal collections based on them. The first collection is expected to hit stores in September.
Galliano himself confirmed that he is already working with Zara’s archival pieces and is essentially rewriting them in a new way.
According to him, the idea for this partnership emerged after meeting Marta Ortega Pérez, chair of Inditex the parent company of Zara and daughter of the group’s founder, Amancio Ortega.
Their interaction began through cultural projects of the Marta Ortega Pérez Foundation.
John Galliano (photo: Getty Images)
This collaboration will be especially notable because it will last not just one season, but two years.
For Zara, it is one of the longest and most ambitious designer collaborations at this level.
Previously, the brand has worked with names like Narciso Rodriguez, Stefano Pilati, and other well-known designers, but the format with Galliano is far more expansive.
Why this is important for Galliano
The new agreement essentially marks John Galliano’s return to high fashion after a break following his departure from Maison Margiela in 2024.
At that time, his final Artisanal show for the brand became one of the most talked-about and high-profile events in the fashion world.
Before Margiela, Galliano led Christian Dior for many years, from 1997 to 2011.
In January of this year, he also appeared at Jonathan Anderson’s debut haute couture show for Dior, which further fueled interest in his possible return.
The designer revealed that the past two years have been a period of reflection for him.
He distanced himself from the usual pace of the fashion industry, spent much of his time in museums and in nature, and sought to reconnect with his intuition without the constant pressure of the industry.
Since January, he has also been secretly working in a studio near Paris on new pieces.
John Galliano (photo: Getty Images)
So far, there are few details about the upcoming line, but Galliano has already indicated that the new pieces will focus on playing with shape and proportion, and will not conform to traditional seasonal or gender boundaries.
For him, this is also a creative experiment, not just a new job, but a way to showcase fashion to a wider audience through Zara’s massive platform.
The designer also emphasized that he is particularly drawn to the idea of reinterpreting existing material.
He describes this approach as both positive and sustainable from a creative perspective, which is especially important to him right now.
John Galliano’s first collection for Zara will be presented in September 2026.
Thus begins a new stage in the designer’s career, which he already calls potentially one of the most exciting periods of his life.
