Imitation hidden in John Galliano's Maison Margiela Couture collection During Paris Fashion Week

Model Fe Fei Sun wears a Maison Margiela "Artisanal" designed by John Galliano - Image courtesy of Vogue 2015.

John Galliano has recently showcased his second artisanal collection for Maison Margiela, during Paris fashion week. The exhibition of Maison Margiela's Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2015 collection showcased Galliano's masterful craftsmanship, in an exciting show that presented men clothed in dresses, shoes with circular blades, sackcloths, and displayed influences from 19th century impressionist art.

The collection from Galliano sent out a positive impression to industry after the designers four year exile from fashion following his antisemitic outburst in 2011. That resulted in the culmination of a heated lawsuit between the House of Dior & Galliano for claims of wrongful dismissal. Restoring any doubts over whether the designer’s creativity was still in tact.

In a recent interview with the designer he describes his Artisanal collection as “the parfum of the house, which both informs and inspires the eau de toilette. What I’m trying to do through this collection is to establish my intentions,” he continues, “and to show what it feels like to wear Margiela today.”

Yet amid the applauds commending the designers "imagination and creative genius' for the looks strutted down the Parisian runway, John Galliano's collection, albeit captivating suffered from a sense of déjà vu - we noticed one design that revealed a strong similarity to the 'Petale Dress' from Balenciaga's 'Invierno collection 1965.' Raising those not so easy to answer questions about designer inspiration and imitation. See below.

              Balenciaga Collection FW1965 [Left] vs. Maison Margiela Couture FW2015 [Right]