“High and Low – John Galliano” Flying too close to the sun.

Steep cliffs, unimaginably beautiful peaks and the startling abys… Challenges make great history happen. John Galliano rises, blooms in the world of glamorous fashion and tumbles in a downward spiral. “High and Low – John Galliano” takes on this story with the lense of Academy Award winning director Kevin Macdonald. 

What are the boundaries of immorality that genius should be permitted? We take on the story of John Galliano, with everything. With him, a fashion prodigy soaring high in the sky, demonstrating nothing but perfection. Then falls, in a glass, in the vigorous claws of alcoholism. Losing everything that he built upon, in highly publicized racist and antisemitic tirades, his reputation and his position as the creative director of Dior. 

From the moment he got introduced to fashion, Galliano was an oddball. He often dressed up as characters, taking their personalities and images as a form of inspiration. He often delved deep into the history of cultures appreciating them in his unique form of expression.With this approach, Galliano found a way to escape from his painful past and his demons. But there was one reality he kept true, himself.

Galliano was raised in a catholic, working class family which he often got into conflicts regarding his world vision and sexuality. This led him to stand out in the world ever-daringly and achieve what he wanted with great ambition. He finds his way into Central Saint Martins where he finds his authentic self among like-minded creatives. 

A main focus of the documentary is how Galliano approaches his runway shows. In his hands everything turns into a theatrical performance. We hear insights from Anna Wintour, Edward Eninful, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Charlize Theron and Penelope Cruz who shared his vision and passion from the first hand. A breaking point is near! It’s graduation time and Galliano is eager to showcase what he can achieve. Inspired by the French Revolution, he presents “Les Incroyables”. Full of theatrical drama, layers of Parisienne elegance and rebellion… This attitude, followed up with “Fallen Angels”, turned every eye on him in the industry. The attention was immense, so was the pressure. With it the story builds and crashes, like the endless waves of the sea.

Kevin Macdonald as the director exposes this rollercoaster of a career in all its rawness. We take a closer look at the less beautiful sides of fashion as well as its glamour. On top of the fashion unstable peaks one thing for sure, if they crown you the king there will soon be another.

In “High and Low – John Galliano” we share everything. The Icarus of fashion tells his story from bottom to the top, not once but twice. Find out the intricate details of Galliano’s story, streaming exclusively on MUBI from April 26.