DALLAS, Oct 10, 2009 / FW/ — John Galliano is on a movie frame of mind this season. Earlier during fashion week, his film noir inspired stage set at Dior received critical acclaim; and for his eponymous label, he brought his audience to the now classic “Sunset Boulevard,” the original “Cougar Town.”

John Galliano Spring 2010

With the voice of Gloria Swanson, who played Norma Desmond, the cougar in “Sunset Boulevard,” there was no mistaking what was John Galliano’s inspiration for this collection – the glamour of the 1950s with the lean silhouettes of the 1920s, which is basically what the film ‘Sunset Boulevard’ brought on the screen.

Silk, lace and feathers plus beautiful headdresses, John Galliano’s vision is that of the lean, elongated, even languid silhouettes of the silent movie stars of the 1920s, just before the “talkies” started in 1927.

And like in the movie wherein Norma Desmond said, “We don’t have dialogue, we have faces,” the models’ make-up were of that era – porcelain faces, dark eyes and heart-shaped lips.

What is interesting is the nonchalant attitude of the clothes, bringing to life the cliché “oh, this old thing I’m wearing”, which of course is the answer of a coquette to anyone who tells her how beautiful she looks in her dress.

But, for those who remembers the film “Sunset Boulevard,” the seeming indifference of the way the clothes were styled or put together is also an allegory to the decaying but still elegant mansion which was the setting of the film.

With John Galliano, you don’t take anything for granted. A design maestro, he can be very philosophical at times but you have to catch him in it early because if you don’t, you will be lost in the beauty of his creations and completely forget about the more thoughtful side of him.

[MARI DAVIS]