Designs by John Galliano ruled the red carpet in 2024. Whether it was dresses from his earth-shaking spring 2024 artisanal collection at Margiela or the back catalog of work from his days at Dior and his namesake label, the celebrity set couldn’t get enough Galliano. Despite the mania, there was one chapter of Galliano’s work the stars didn’t raid: the rest of his ten-year tenure at Margiela. Well, Zoe Saldaña stepped out at the London Critics Circle Film Awards yesterday in a dress that reminded the world Galliano did indeed design more than one collection for Margiela.
Saldaña, who took home two awards at the event, slipped into a black strapless number from Maison Margiela’s artisanal 2022 couture collection. The dress’s bodice featured a gauzy effect that transitioned into embroidery along the skirt. The Emilia Pérez actress accented her look with another hero piece from Galliano’s time at Margiela. She wore a pair of ankle-strap heels by Christian Louboutin for Maison Margiela. Of course, they featured a split-toe Tabi silhouette.
Saldaña has mainly favored sleek monochrome dresses (usually by Saint Laurent) this awards season which saw her win her first Golden Globe in January and score an Oscar nomination. But really, this archival find couldn’t have come at a better time.
The actress took home the Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation and the Best Supporting Actress award in London last night. Her wins comes amid controversy surrounding Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón and bigoted comments the actress, 52, made on social media. Gascón, who is nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, addressed the controversy over the weekend in an interview with CNN in which she refused to withdraw from Oscar contention.
Saldaña, for her part, subtly referenced the debacle when accepting her award. “I didn’t have anything prepared, you guys,” the actress said, adding. “I wasn’t expecting this, and especially now.”
She continued, “When we all came together, we came with all of our luggage, all of our baggage, and we put it on the table, and we just made a lot with what we had.” The actress concluded her speech by saying “If there’s one thing I want to leave you with, please be abstract with your idea of redemption. Keep your minds and your hearts open always, and keep making art and telling your truth, please.”
