John Galliano

Whatever the season's fantastical setting—the Old Kyoto of Madame Butterfly or grand, doomed White Russia—editors often speak of a Galliano show, whether for Dior or his own label, as one of the most magical experiences of fashion week in Paris.

John Galliano is a man with a prodigious flair for the theatrical, clearly, and his runway tableaux are often likened to performance art. Born in Gibraltar and brought up in England, the designer—who was made a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001—has been delivering the drama since 1984, when his French Revolution-themed graduation collection at Central Saint Martins launched him onto the international scene at the age of 24. Three years later, the self-described "club kid" from South London was named British Designer of the Year. He was so honored three more times in the 1990's.

Ovations, however, are one thing; commercial success is another. The road has been a long and winding one. After a move to Paris in the early nineties, Galliano struggled to get his label off the ground, but with a little help from socialite Sao Schlumberger and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, he scraped together a supermodel-studded show—and made fashion history. Women's Wear Daily called the spectacle, which had Naomi et al. posing in furs, mini-kimonos, and wispy skirts amid Victorian couches and broken crystal candelabra, "one of the most transporting and memorable fashion happenings of the decade." Bernard Arnault of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton responded by installing Galliano as creative director of Givenchy, and, in 1996, appointing him design director of Christian Dior, a position Galliano still holds today.

Thirties-inflected chiffon cut on the bias is among Galliano's signatures, as are imaginative hats made in collaboration with Stephen Jones—from birds' nests to feathered headdresses—and a global outlook. From Yemeni tribes to Confederate soldiers to a camp California Valley of the Dolls, no reference is too off-the-wall for a little Galliano interpretation.

The house of John Galliano, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2009, is currently in expansion mode, with plans to introduce childrenswear, fragrance, watches, and fine jewelry. A diffusion line of sportswear and accessories, called simply Galliano, debuted in 2008. Not bad for a former club kid.