News: Cecily Cracroft-Eley for Maison Margiela Artisanal

Sarabande alumni, Cecily Cracroft-Eley exhibited several new works in John Galliano's Fall 2018 Collection for Maison Margiela Artisanal.

Created during her time working for the Parisian fashion house, Cracroft-Eley made brightly coloured shift dresses, the first layer of the below looks, using a combination of vibrant tones from Margiela's techno sorbet colour palette. They were made using an ancient Chinese textile technique called Ge Ba, where old garments were deconstructed and bonded together with scraps of fabric using rice glue to form a new material.

The hats she made were part of a very spontaneous process. She started making them right at the start of the season. Emulating a dressed-in-haste attitude, she used plastic bags and tape to create something both beautiful and classic. Focusing on the idea of reconstituting the ordinary and elevating it into something perceived as glamorous, she stuck to classic shapes such as the 50’s cloche and chose to create pieces that varied in form and colour. As the collection developed, she continued to produce more, incorporating coloured organza into the plastic to provide a subtle colour wash. Towards the end of the collection, she worked closely with the incredible hairstylist, Eugene Souleiman, to see what would work best on each of the looks, and from there, created the final hats.

In Cecily's own words: "Working at Maison Margiela under John Galliano has been an intense and magical experience. I was working in the couture department as an artisanal intern where I have been wholly involved in the entire creative process of the collection from start to finish. I was lucky enough to have a very hands-on experience and was present in every fitting throughout the process, which enabled me to see visually how the collection developed. It is incredible to be working so closely with John and very interesting to see how he projects his vision of Maison Margiela being a modern couture house whilst always retaining its authenticity. This is translated into every garment he creates and every aspect of the company. Seeing how he brings together a plethora of ideas into a complex yet cohesive collection was particularly valuable. I am very grateful to John and the entire Margiela team for this wonderful opportunity."