Martin Margiela gives John Galliano seal of approval

Fashion's mysterious mute speaks out

Known for his shyness and for not being a very public person – the usually mute Martin Margiela (pictured above) has reportedly spoken out in favour of the maison's hiring of John Galliano as creative director

The Belgian designer, often referred to as the 'Greta Garbo of fashion' owing to his invisibility in the public eye, has reportedly praised the appointment of Galliano as creative director at the fashion house he founded – Maison Martin Margiela.

According to a source, Margiela is pleased that Galliano will front the brand – that is famous for its strict anonymity policies, which even involves all employees wearing identical lab coats.

It is thought that Margiela was keen to see a leader fill his shoes when he left the maison in 2009, and until now the label’s owner, Renzo Rosso’s holding OTB has kept any designer working with the house as a tightly-guarded secret. Earlier this year, Vogue's Suzy Menkes reportedly upset Maison Martin Margiela after she revealed the name of one of the collective designers and posted a picture backstage.

Could this be a new, more public era for the famously secretive brand? The placement of Galliano at the helm surely seems to point towards just that...

Martin Margiela has approved the candidacy of John Galliano (photo 1)