The John Galliano Zara Re{form} collection brings couture thinking, high street prices and pieces worth setting an alarm for
Some collaborations make you raise an eyebrow. The John Galliano Zara collection made me raise both, and then set an alarm for 10am on the first of October.
John Galliano, the designer behind some of the most theatrical moments in Dior’s history, has launched his first collection for Zara. Not a capsule with a famous name stitched inside, but the beginning of a two-year partnership called Re{form}. The idea is brilliantly simple and very Galliano: he goes into Zara’s own archive, takes garments from past seasons and rewrites them using techniques you would normally only find in a couture atelier.
It is also the first time in his career that Galliano has designed for the high street, which is exactly why the entire fashion industry has been refreshing zara.com all week.
What Is the John Galliano Zara Collection?
Galliano being Galliano, there is a story. For Re{form} Vol. 1, he returned to Les Incroyables, his 1984 Central Saint Martins graduate collection, inspired by the rebellious dandies and divas who took over Paris after the French Revolution. Add a little film noir glamour and a very bourgeois attitude, and you get a wardrobe full of characters rather than simple outfits. The campaign was shot by Steven Meisel, and it reads like a film I would happily watch twice.
What makes this John Galliano Zara collection different from every other designer collaboration is the process. Galliano has given each couture technique its own name, and he clearly had fun doing it.
The Flix layers sheer tulle and netting over garments so you see what lies beneath, like frames in a flipbook. The Shift plays with things that are not what they seem, including an oversized foil print shirt that looks like a leather coat but has the lightness of poplin. Wrapture turns Zara skirts, slips and linings inside out and splices them into wrap skirts, while Plume Zoom uses a fabric that looks exactly like feathers from a distance.
My personal favourite name is In-Cut-Yable, for the hacked outerwear. The pun alone deserves a standing ovation.
The styling is just as clever. An archival Zara lace dress becomes a ruffled neckpiece, and a jumper is worn back to front as a stole. I will be stealing that second idea immediately, with a jumper I already own.
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The Accessories Everyone Will Want
If the clothes are the plot, the accessories are the scene stealers. Galliano worked with milliner Stephen Jones, his longtime collaborator, to reinvent Zara’s hats. Caps became lace bonnets, bucket hats were waxed, and beanies were left beautifully unravelling. A hat is also the easiest way to wear a piece of Galliano without committing to the full French Revolution.
Then there is the Tri-Chic bag, inspired by bin liners, which anyone who remembers his controversial Dior Clochard collection from spring 2000 will smile at. It closes with a metal chain and can be worn three ways, including as a backpack.
Finish with naval boots or leather T-strap heels, opera gloves and knee-high socks, and the look is complete.
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Best Pieces From the John Galliano Zara Collection
My advice is to buy the pieces you would never find in a regular Zara. The layered tulle pieces and the foil print shirt are the most Galliano pieces in the entire collection and will feel special for years, not just this season. If you want something easier, start with a hat or the Tri-Chic bag.
The colour palette makes everything simple to wear. Black, navy, burgundy, forest green and brown sit perfectly within an autumn wardrobe, while orchid pink, turquoise and acid green bring in the cinematic drama. If you have been following the deep purple trend with me this season, the purple pieces are the ones I would look at first.
I also expect the best pieces from the Zara Re{form} collection to sell out quickly, so if something catches your eye, I would not wait for the weekend.
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John Galliano Zara Launch Date, Prices and Where to Buy
When does the John Galliano Zara collection launch?
Re{form} Vol. 1 launches on 1 October 2026 at 10am CEST.
Where can I buy it?
The collection is available on zara.com and in Zara’s flagship stores in Madrid and London. In Paris, Zara has also opened a by-appointment experience in a historic mansion in the Marais, where you can shop the collection in rooms styled like an old couture salon.
How much does it cost?
In the US, prices range from $29.99 to $999.99. Check zara.com for prices in your country at launch.
How long is the collaboration?
Galliano has signed a two-year partnership with Zara, so Re{form} Vol. 1 is the first of several collections.
Galliano’s return to the spotlight has not been without debate, and I understand why. But purely as a piece of design, Re{form} is one of the most interesting things the high street has done in years. Couture thinking at a price that does not require a second mortgage is rare, and I think this is a collection people will be talking about long after fashion month ends.
