Bill Gaytten’s early sketches for this John Galliano collection must have looked like a diagramming system for origami figures. So abstract were the shapes on the Galliano runway that they achieved some of the most curious silhouettes we’ve seen at Fashion Week so far. The massive volumes, draping, bunching, knotting, and suspended fabrics are the work of masterful tailoring, and Gaytten’s talent shines through in this collection. The more challenging the looks became, the more couture they appeared. There wasn’t a stagnant piece in the bunch; each one had a unique visual point of origin and the artistry unfolded from that point. Take the ombre-black and soft-yellow chiffon gown at the last half; its asymmetrical ruffles cascaded to the left, with one strap creeping up the shoulder on the right. This tosses the eye in several directions at once, causing one to pause and drink it in, because the slow burn of a good visual is one to be appreciated. For the exhaustive variation on volumes, this collection tends to read minimalistic because the lines, though cacophonous, are ultimately smooth. This is Gaytten tossing out the rulebook, and, frankly we’re glad he did.

written by GRACE GORDON|photos: courtesy of GoRUNWAY