High & Low: John Galliano

High & Low: John Galliano
UK 2023, 15, 116 mins, documentary

The gripping and thought-provoking new documentary from Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald, High & Low: John Galliano tells the rise-and-fall story of influential and controversial fashion designer John Galliano.

Galliano dressed some of the most beautiful and prominent men and women in the world for almost 15 years at Givenchy and Dior, and was widely recognized as one of the most successful fashion designers of the 1990s and 2000s.

However, his career abruptly ended when he was caught on camera in 2011 hurling antisemitic and racist insults at bystanders outside Paris’s Café La Perle.

Macdonald’s compelling documentary traces Galliano’s career from fashion student at Central Saint Martins to creative director of some of the world’s largest fashion houses, candidly investigating his struggles with addiction and the industry pressure he faced along the way.

Showcasing archive footage of the breathtaking haute couture and high-fashion runways of the period, this nuanced look at Galliano confronts the toxic work culture behind-the-scenes of the fashion industry. Featuring conversations with Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Penélope Cruz, Charlize Theron, Anna Wintour, Edward Enninful and more.

‘An unflinching view of fashion’s most flawed genius’ ★★★★ The Telegraph

‘Footage of shows, especially from Galliano’s big-budget tenure as creative director at Dior make for fabulous wardrobe porn, highlighting the haute theatricality and ravishing romance that turned him into a fashion rock star’ Hollywood Reporter