‘Galliano is shy and cocky and that’s an interesting combination. There’s something about him and the ambiguity of him that I was drawn to’

A new film tells the story of the dramatic rise and fall of John Galliano, from head of Dior to cancelled racist to fashion’s man of the moment. Here, its Scottish director Kevin Macdonald talks about the troubled designer’s vulnerability, his antisemitic outburst and the tricky topic of redemption

Designer John Galliano in a still from Kevin Macdonald's 'High & Low'

Katie Byrne

Who gets to be redeemed after being cancelled? The person who expresses sufficient remorse? The person who rallies enough support? Or is it simply that time eventually heals all wounds?

It’s a divisive question, agrees filmmaker Kevin Macdonald, whose latest documentary, High & Low, explores the rise and fall (and rise again) of fashion designer John Galliano. But it’s one which has no definitive answer.