John Galliano's showstopping catwalk outfits – in pictures

Here he is at Dior's spring/summer 2003 show sporting a full head of feathers and a very bald chest Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex Features

At Dior's spring summer 2002 haute couture collection, Galliano appears as a merman, and even manages to make his flesh look like a costume Photograph: Michel Euler/AP

Fashion's love affair with pirates goes back a long way (see Vivienne Westwood's 1981 collection); his oversized jacket at Dior's spring/summe 2005 show makes the clothes look borrowed, fancy dress-like Photograph: Jean-Pierre Muller/AFP/Getty Images

Galliano wore this outfit after his 2006 menswear show which also featured a one-man band with doves. Patchwork is a good metaphor for this culture surfer Photograph: Emmanuel Fradin/Reuters

This is another kind of patchwork, but where the patches are whole pieces of clothing. As seen at his ready to wear show for autumn/winter 2008 Photograph: Rex Features

Shades of the panto dame as he takes his bow at the Dior autumn/winter 2008 haute couture show Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

Shipwrecked! But Galliano still manages to hold on to his hat at the 2009 Dior cruise collection Photograph: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Raiding the equestrian wardrobe at Dior's spring/summer 2010 show. See how he has shaped his eyebrow to run parallel with the brim of his hat? Clever Photograph: Miquel Benitez/Rex Features

Another representation of Orthodox Jewish style (this time at his autumn/winter 2005 collection for Dior) but with added hardware Photograph: Remy de la Mauviniere/AP

Here Galliano appears to be off to a garden party, at the end of his autumn/winter 2011 show for Dior. You could do that with your belt too, but you'd look an idiot, whereas Galliano makes it look like the result of months of study Photograph: Sipa Press/Rex Features