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John Galliano was suspended from his post as the head designer at the 65 year old Christian Dior label for being accused of making anti-Semitic remarks during an altercation with a couple at a cafe. Today, the eccentric designer, often outfitted in pirate-like ensembles is ordered by French prosecutors to face his accuser. Now, a second woman has come forth and says she was also insulted by Galliano a few weeks ago at the same cafe, La Perle in Paris. To add insult to injury, a new video has surfaced that is said to be the designer using more anti-Semitic remarks in front of his apartment. The video has yet to be verified as legit.
So this designer walks into a bar....stop me if you've heard this one... and says to a couple...Allegedly..."Dirty Jewish face, you should be dead" and "F*cking Asian bastard, I will kill you" reported news site Europe 1. It was also stated that the insults were thrown down in English after the couple mocked him for looking like a street vagrant, to which Galliano was said to reply "You are f*cking ulgy and your bag is too."
Cartoon: © Fashion Funhouse Emporium
After a week of fashion shows, sitting as a silent observer, I can very well testify that it is highly plausible that verbal assult on other people's appearances will take place. Though, Americans usually utter them under their breath, and tell you that you look "gorge and fab" to your face when you turn around with an inquisitive face as if to ask the flamboyant guy behind you "did you just say that my necklace was tacky?"
The Internets were a blaze that the Dior darling could be accused of such a thing. How could he do this to so many actresses at a time when they were lent Dior dresses to wear to the Oscars? And with both the Christian Dior and Galliano's namesake label slated to roll out their Fall 2011 ready-to-wear collections, this is the kind of press that Bernard Arnault, the House of Dior and Louis Vuitton Moet Henessy doesn't want with their most coveted and elitist label.
Many editors and buyers rushed to his defense, like a mother who's child is accused of a crime, stating that they've never known the shy, withdrawn boy to ever become violent or say a mean word about anyone. WWD quoted that everyone from Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, and other noted fashion reporters echoed this sentiment.
John Galliano has filed a counter suit against claiming defamation. LVMH is not the only party that has a zero no tolerance policy against racism. In France, however, both parties could face serious consequences. The penalty if the couple is found guilty is one year in prison or a fine. For Galliano, if found guilty, he could face up to two years in jail or a large fine.
Galliano has always been a favorite of mine, as he breaths life into an industry which has gone dull in terms of creativity in favor of sales, most recognizably here in the states. But in a time when Big Brother in the form of the public is watching us all, everyone, including high profile designers are included in watching themselves in a celebrity obsessed culture. Designers and fashion in general fall under the category of such. And of course, where the money flows in, any accusation of ill behavior (or that your head designer can be a closeted racist) leaves a mark and sends the public relations damage control committees into the war room. Especially at Oscar time when dresses are the equivalent of placing a Coca Cola can strategically in camera view on a night stand in a blockbuster movie. Ann Hathaway's eight wardrobe changes of luxury label dresses during a three hour show is a prime example of this.
Regardless if the accusations of bigotry and antisemitism are true, this most likely marks the end of John Galliano's tenure at Christian Dior. Questions have come about to the designer's alcohol abuse, with "insiders" suggesting he get help. Recently he's toned down his wildly theatrical runway shows after much criticism on his homeless and mental patient influenced collection. Bernard Arnault himself has asked the designer to tone it down, stating that the Christian Dior label is not about exhibitionism(hmmm?) to which Arnault said Galliano obliged.
With personal behavior aside, such taming of the shrew has led to more criticism of the designer, with critics like Cathryn Horyn expressing a yawn: "Last season, there seemed to be no escape from the Dior archive as Mr. Galliano trotted out another horse-and-hound collection, and some recent ready-to-wear shows have felt skewed to the safest expectations."
So it may lead some of us to conclude that its time to go. No doubt, John Galliano is one of fashion's greatest talents, but like all of us, in all of our jobs, there seems a time to move on when you've exhausted your options and full-filled your goals. Such as the case with John Galliano at Dior. The fact that LVHM suspeneded the courtier without investigation shows they are not afraid to move on.
Perhaps, if his namesake Galliano label could be his focus, building up his own brand to the tune of his own inspirations of Eyptian hieroglyphics, hobos, pirates, A Street Car named Desire and which ever else he observes and chooses to interpret into artful clothing. However, his own label is also backed by powerhouse LVMH. Unless the company can learn to live with fashion's "bad boy" and support the Galliano label, someone would have to take an extreme risk to financially back the designer who's image now, will be undoubtedly tarnished. If the fashion world is anything like celebrity, perhaps much like Britney Spear's public trials and tribulations, Galliano could lay low and come back.
As for now, unless these accusations can be disproved, his future is on shaky ground.
Cartoon: © Fashion Funhouse Emporium
