After months of anticipation, the collection marking John Galliano’s return to the fashion scene is finally here. “{form},” the new collaboration with Zara, was unveiled yesterday through a campaign shot by Steven Meisel, which captures the designer’s theatrical and scenographic aesthetic. The highly anticipated prices for the various pieces were released just a few minutes ago, and it is precisely these prices—along with quality and fit—that make it interesting to see what will happen to the collection once the hype surrounding its debut has died down.
Prices range widely: under 100 euros for accessories; between 90 and about 300 euros for polo shirts, knit vests, pants, and blazers; and up to just over 700 euros for suits with more intricate craftsmanship. One might think that a price under 1,000 euros is affordable for a Galliano-designed dress. But it really isn’t, if you consider what you’re actually buying: a mass-produced garment, made within Zara’s supply chain using Zara’s materials. For a similar price on the luxury secondhand market, you can find authentic pieces from Galliano’s most influential years, with a completely different level of craftsmanship and history.
There is also another factor to consider: how much of the campaign’s visual aesthetic actually comes from the individual garment, and how much, on the other hand, is created through styling? The campaign recreates that magical world typical of Galliano through a combination of multiple garments, accessories, layering, and volumes. To achieve the same effect, it might therefore be necessary to purchase several items from the collection, causing the total cost to rise rapidly. And this is where price becomes a key issue: who will be able to afford these pieces and, above all, who will be willing to spend that much on a Galliano x Zara item?
That’s exactly the key: it’s not necessarily luxury that’s moving closer to people. It’s Zara that’s moving toward a price range traditionally associated with luxury, without, however, replicating its production structure.
[📷 Zara.com / © Steven Meisel]
