Gods and Kings - a book review. Is fashion creativity? Or is it just a business?
Dana Thomas’ Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, published in 2015, is a biography describing the lives of two of the greatest fashion designers of the century. The book exposes the struggles they faced during their rise to fame, criticising the external pressures that come with the complexities of the fashion industry. Thomas begs the audience to understand just how much fashion is less about design and more about business, and how this process can ruin the lives of everyone involved. The book questions the longevity of the industry and if, truly, we are reaching a point where creativity has died.
The author directly parallels the lives of McQueen and Galliano, prefaces everything from their upbringing, their education, to their family and their background. She talks about every single person that had an influence on the designers’ lives, and how each person, despite everything, played a role in their eventual downfall. The opening chapter grabs the audience with horrifying quotes such as “dirty jew, you should be dead,” (Thomas 2015:1) an immediate retelling of Galliano’s scandal at the La Perle cafe. It sets up the narrative, so readers are curious to find out exactly what lead to this breaking point in his life. Whether or not this is done with the assumption that the audience is already aware of this scandal, Thomas frames it in such a way that you can still feel the shock and disgust as if one was there experiencing the moment in person.
Image of Alexander McQueen: Mathieson (2018)
Thomas is really successful in the way she evokes emotions. I previously did not know a lot about Galliano and McQueen's personal backgrounds or histories. I was shocked by how much the people around them seemed to take advantage of them and exploit their weaknesses. The audience grows sympathy for the two designers and all their suffering. Even amongst their flaws, we truly begin to understand how they were victims of the harsh and cruel fashion industry. Whilst the storytelling felt extremely blunt at most times, describing deaths with simple sentences like “She died two days later. She was forty-eight" (Thomas 2015:342). It could be argued that Thomas wanted to portray the brutish nature of McQueen and Galliano, and how they were never afraid to confront taboo subjects.
Image of John Galliano: Nair (2024)
However, I do believe that Thomas often over-described the physical garment designs throughout the book. It was extremely hard to visualise, and it often felt like it would slow down the narrative and drag it out. For example, Galliano’s designs of the shellfish dress were first mentioned on page 56, where it describes “a spectacular voluminous skirt made of scores of layers of stiff pearl-grey organza” (Thomas 2015:56) However, the visuals of this dress are not present in the book until the second group of pictures between pages 280-281. I am fully aware that it is difficult for publications to include images in physical print. But I believe the book could have been more successful if the imagery was spaced out throughout the book so less effort would have been placed in describing the garments.
My Critique
Committed to crafting exceptional experiences
While I enjoyed the read, I will admit it was a difficult one for me. The pacing of the narrative was unpredictable with extremely slow points throughout the book. There were many times where I could not fully immerse myself in the story, predominantly because of the writing style. I understand Thomas tried to keep the timeline realistic and introduced new people as McQueen and Galliano met them. However, it often meant we were being introduced to characters who were only relevant for one page, or we would come across a person who was introduced over 10 chapters ago. I would lose track of everyone she introduced as there were just so many influences on the designer’s lives, and while it was necessary to understand them, I would find myself often having to go back and reread different sections.
Growing steadily from humble beginnings
Despite this, there were many things throughout the book that stuck with me. As someone who identifies as queer, it was interesting to view the book through an LGBT+ lens. When McQueen's history of sexual abuse at a young age was brought up, it implied that many people thought that this was the cause of his sexuality, even though he had already “[known] by then that he was gay” (Thomas 2015:68). It was refreshing and relieving to know that even in this time, where homosexuality wasn’t so openly accepted, the two were very proud of this fact and never let themselves be victimised because of it. I appreciated that Thomas never shied away from their relationships, despite the infidelity, and never blamed their sexuality for any of their shortcomings.
Overall, Thomas did an incredible job of telling the story of the so-called Gods and Kings. It opened my eyes to the reality of fashion and how much external pressures designers face. It closes with a disheartening statement about how “fashion now is about consumption, not creation” (Thomas 2018:380). Even though the designers of today’s age have learned their lesson, the book still poses a warning that there are many sacrifices to be made in this line of work. It is a warning that will stick with me as I continue in this industry, a reminder to myself that while passion and talent can get you far, it truly is “just business” (Thomas 2015:380).
Thomas D (2015) Gods and Kings: the Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, Penguin Books UK
Mathieson C (6 September 2018) 'McQueen film shows the passion behind the fashion', The Sydney Morning Herald , accessed 4 June 2025. https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/alexander-mcqueen-film-documentary-fashion-givenchy-20180830-p500qw.html
Nair S (28 May 2024) 'Fashion designer John Galliano's downfall charted in new Kevin Macdonald documentary High & Low', ABC News, accessed 4 June 2025. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-28/high-low-john-galliano-review-kevin-macdonald-dior-designer/103896986