ARCHIVE - 1988 John Galliano Runway Documented Hairclips Collection Grey Wool Playsuit
John Galliano graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1984 with a first class honours degree in Fashion Design. In 1987, he won British Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. This playsuit walked the runway for Galliano’s Fall 1988 Ready to Wear 'Hairclips' collection. The designer drew inspiration from the famous French photographer, Brassaï referred to as "the eye of Paris" for his striking photographs of Parisian life between the first and second world wars. Galliano also found inspiration from an unexpected object of beauty, the "hair clip". The models on the runway wore intricate hair clip designs in their hair, and some garments were held together with the clips.
Tailored in the style of a shorts suit, it has a double-breasted front with an asymmetric, sweeping lapel that secures at the waist - a signature detail of the designer’s early pieces and particularly of this 1988 collection. The canny tailoring builds volume at the sleeves and around the hips, creating a distorted, fluid silhouette around the wearer.
Made in England, this elegant piece is cut from 100% pure wool in a soft brown-grey and lined with coordinating 100% silk. It fastens with a hidden tonal zip at the front and is finished with five plastic buttons. The original aqua-on-burgundy Galliano label features lions and cockerels and this is a must-have piece for any archival collector of his early designs. This was the last collection that Galliano independently produced before moving to Paris in 1989.
In excellent, archival vintage condition with no flaws or marks. If we are being picky, there is a small amount of creasing to the lapels when it was dry cleaned at some stage but we consider this very minor. The size label reads size US 8, Europe 36, UK 10. The fabric does not have any stretch to it. Our model is a UK 8-10 and 5ft 11in (180cm) and this was a great fit on her with some room to spare.
MEASUREMENTS:
Bust - 38 in. (81 cm)
Waist - 28 in. (91 cm)
Hip - 37 in. (142 cm)
Length - 41 in. (140 cm)
Pickup currently unavailable at CIRCA VINTAGE
F.A.Q.
Will you set anything aside for me before I come?
We are happy to find anything you may be interested in from our website. We have an extensive offline collection. It is helpful if you can let us know your size, style, favourite colour to wear and perhaps your budget in advance of your appointment.
Do I need to bring anything with me?
Clients may wish to bring modern shapewear. You may also wish to bring favourite footwear. We often find a classic pair of nude shoes work well when trying-on, or gold and silver. We have a huge variety of slip dresses and petticoats to complete your look. Many of which are also for sale.
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Many of our lower priced pieces, under £250, are not available to buy online. Dresses usually start at £150 and go up to £30,000 for the very best archival couture. Our bridalwear price points range from £1,000 to £20,000.
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Where can I get alterations?
We offer some alterations in house. Should you need alterations we cannot provide, we can refer you to one of our tried and trusted tailors.
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We will advise you on the best way to clean and preserve your vintage purchases and can also recommend trusted local dry cleaners.
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Our address is Circa Vintage, 87A Lansdowne Way London SW8 2PB
Upon arrival, buzz the 87A button on the gate or call us 020 7736 5038 to let you in.
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Underground:
Stockwell (7 min walk) - Northern and Victoria Lines
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