Everything’s coming up rose prints for John Galliano, with almost 14 years at the helm of Dior, a sprawling re-furbished New York flagship, and a new starlet to peddle his wares, the lithe and lovely Natalie Portman. What better time, then, for WSJ to score an interview? The Q&A, accompanied by a Dior ad, offers some intriguing insights into the designer’s internal process, including a penchant for autobiographies (he’s currently finishing Keith Richard’s juicy memoir) and an undying love for all things decadent (top of his list? Rococo—big surprise).

But our favorite bit is his explanation for his runway finale attire. “The attention should be on the collection—not my finale!” he says. “I get so immersed in the world that I am creating that—like a method actor—I tune with the muse, the story and the collection so much so that I evolve into an homage to the world I have created.” An interesting theory, though we’re not sure “method acting” quite describes the part-pirate, part-Cher theatrics. But as they say, it’s a look!