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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

High & Low: John Galliano

John Galliano and Anna Wintour in Paris, in 1993.

The documentary will be shown in theaters from March 8

I began watching the new documentary High & Low: John Galliano with some hesitation. Galliano’s downfall in the early aughts, caused by his racist and anti-Semitic comments, disturbed me enough to doubt the need for this film. Would it be a public pardoning by Condé Nast? A puff piece? Would he apologize? Curiosity got the better of me, and for that I am glad. With abundant commentary from figures such as Kate Moss, Vanessa Friedman, Anna Wintour, and Galliano himself, the documentary offers multiple points of views, which allows viewers to make up their own minds regarding the designer’s career, character, and legacy. More than anything, High & Low reminds us of the incredible originality and international influence of Galliano’s designs for the house of Christian Dior. This alone makes the movie a must-watch. But what does such creativity cost a designer? It’s something to think about in the anxious and oversaturated era of social media. —Jeanne Malle