John Galliano loves a little drama, so why not finish off the Paris couture calendar alongside someone else very experienced in high-brow theatrics, Gwendoline Christie? Today, the British actress closed Galliano’s spring 2024 collection for Maison Margiela—the finaly runway walk in a jam-packed week of couture presentations.
Christie was the last model to strut down the dimly-lit runway which was lined with industry folk and guests including the extended Kardashian-Jenner family. Christie looked more like a Tim Burton character than your typical couture model, though, with a sheer corset gown. The actress brought her own flair to the ghastly look, posing and moving about the runway as if she had just emerged from a John Singer Sargent painting.
In addition to her dramatic ball gown, which partially exposed her midsection, Christie carried a white mini bag and sported gloves that appeared to imitate the look of medical bandages. Christie’s glazed skin makeup look, complete with razor thin brows and smudged eyeshadow, furthered the twisted Margiela fantasy—and if it weren’t for her blonde, pin curled hair, we might have struggled to recognize that was actually her.
Christie herself is no stranger to the runway, having laced up her modeling shoes for brands such as Prada and Vivienne Westwood over the years. Upon seeing the actress walk during show rehearsals, Miuccia Prada once said “‘Now that’s a walk.’” We agree Miuccia!
Galliano provided quite the lead up to Christie’s finale look with models gliding in everything from completely see-through corset dresses to cocoon-like skirt sets. The larger-than-life silhouettes were reminiscent of his time at Dior, as were the models’ porcelain skin and doll-like footwear.
Usually, celebrity cameos on couture runways are few and far between when compared to ready-to-wear presentations. There’s been occasional exceptions like Demi Moore opening Kim Jone’s Fendi couture debut and the parade of A-listers over at Balenciaga that included Nicole Kidman and Dua Lipa. Galliano truly had the best of both worlds, though—a star in Christie on the runway with the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner watching on from the front row. What a way to wrap up couture week!