Only a few days away from Dior’s show during Paris Fashion Week, the 15 years career of Galliano as Chief Designer at Dior has abruptly come to an end reports Reuters . The French fashion house decided to cut all ties with John Galliano following the racist and anti-Semitic allegations at a couple in a Parisian brasserie.
On Thursday, the 50-year-old designer was briefly detained by police after an altercation with a couple outside the posh La Perla cafe in Paris' Marais district. The designer, who has helmed the celebrated fashion house for the past 14 years, allegedly shouted insults which were racist and anti-Semitic in nature. The couple, one of them of Asian origin, filed a complaint, with officers also said to be investigating an allegation that Galliano exchanged slaps with the couple.
The House of Dior was quick to react. Just hours after the news of the designer's detention hit French websites, Dior CEO Sidney Toledano announced the suspension, saying: "The House of Dior confirms, with the greatest firmness, its policy of zero tolerance for any anti-Semitic or racist comments."
Galliano's lawyer, Stephane Zerbib, said the Gibraltar-born British designer was "totally surprised" by the suspension.Under French law, making anti-Semitic remarks can be punishable by up to six months in prison.
Galliano's lawyer, Stephane Zerbib, said the Gibraltar-born British designer was "totally surprised" by the suspension.Under French law, making anti-Semitic remarks can be punishable by up to six months in prison.
It wasn’t the first time the couture designer made anti-Semitic comments, tabloid the Sun revealed a video featuring the designer declaring he ‘Loved Hitler’. Dior decided Galliano crossed the line, and is letting the designer go because of his ‘odious nature’, said Chief Executive Sidney Toledano.
On the red carpet of the Oscars, we already noticed an almost Dior-less awards ceremony - with the exception of Nicole Kidman. Natalie Portman , who's contracted to be the face of Miss Dior Cherie fragrance, decided against wearing a Dior Dress to the event. Natalie, 29, who won the best actress Oscar on Sunday for her film Black Swan, said that in the light of the video, "and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr Galliano in any way".
Alan Sugar has also criticised the Streatham-raised designer. Lord Sugar, the multi-millionaire star of the hit BBC show The Apprentice, said on Twitter: "I hope French courts make an example of him for alleged racist remarks. These high-profile people think they are untouchable".
Graduated from Central St. Martins, Galliano is taken legal action against his prosecutors for defamation. His lawyer Stephane Zerbib denied the charges of both events. The show must go on by the looks of it, Dior’s AW11 catwalk presentation is scheduled to go ahead on Sunday. In the meantime, rumours are going round who might take over Galliano’s responsibilities including Haider Ackermann, and Riccardo Tisci currently at Givenchy.
But what do you think? Was Dior right to fire Galliano after his drunken outburst?
Story update: March 4th
Earlier this week , WWD posted the speech Christian Dior chief executive Sidney Toledano read on the catwalk ahead of the Christian Dior show, which took place at Paris fashion week
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"Since its founding by Monsieur Dior, the House of Christian Dior has lived an extraordinary and wonderful story and has had the honor of embodying France’s image, and its values, all around the world.What has happened over the last week has been a terrible and wrenching ordeal for us all. It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer, however brilliant he may be.Such statements are intolerable because of our collective duty to never forget the Holocaust and its victims, and because of the respect for human dignity that is owed to each person and to all peoples.
These statements have deeply shocked and saddened all at Dior who give body and soul to their work, and it is particularly painful that they came from someone so admired for his remarkable creative talent.So now, more than ever, we must publicly re-commit ourselves to the values of the House of Dior. Christian Dior founded his House in 1947.His family had been ruined in the Crash of 1929 and his own beloved sister had been deported to Buchenwald. In the aftermath of the dark years of the war, he sought to free women, to give them back their sparkle and joyfulness.
Christian Dior’s values were those of excellence in all that he undertook, of elegance and of craftsmanship reflecting his unique talent. His mission was not only to make his clients — indeed all women — more beautiful, but also to make them happy, to help them dream. He saw himself as a magician who could give women confidence and make them ever more feminine, more sublime. He believed in the importance of respect and in the capacity of this fundamental value not only to bring out the beauty in women, but also to bring out the best in all people.
His values, his genius and his legacy have contributed to enhancing France’s image and culture around the world for more than sixty years.
The values that Monsieur Dior taught us are unchanged today. Those values are carried on by the wonderful and diverse group of people within the House of Dior who devote all their talent and energy to achieving the ultimate in artisanship and femininity, respecting traditional skills and incorporating modern techniques.The heart of the House of Dior, which beats unseen, is made up of its teams and studios, of its seamstresses and craftsmen, who work hard day after day, never counting the hours, and carrying on the values and the vision of Monsieur Dior.
What you are going to see now is the result of the extraordinary, creative, and marvelous efforts of these loyal, hardworking people.
Thank you."
Earlier this week , WWD posted the speech Christian Dior chief executive Sidney Toledano read on the catwalk ahead of the Christian Dior show, which took place at Paris fashion week
-
"Since its founding by Monsieur Dior, the House of Christian Dior has lived an extraordinary and wonderful story and has had the honor of embodying France’s image, and its values, all around the world.What has happened over the last week has been a terrible and wrenching ordeal for us all. It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer, however brilliant he may be.Such statements are intolerable because of our collective duty to never forget the Holocaust and its victims, and because of the respect for human dignity that is owed to each person and to all peoples.
These statements have deeply shocked and saddened all at Dior who give body and soul to their work, and it is particularly painful that they came from someone so admired for his remarkable creative talent.So now, more than ever, we must publicly re-commit ourselves to the values of the House of Dior. Christian Dior founded his House in 1947.His family had been ruined in the Crash of 1929 and his own beloved sister had been deported to Buchenwald. In the aftermath of the dark years of the war, he sought to free women, to give them back their sparkle and joyfulness.
Christian Dior’s values were those of excellence in all that he undertook, of elegance and of craftsmanship reflecting his unique talent. His mission was not only to make his clients — indeed all women — more beautiful, but also to make them happy, to help them dream. He saw himself as a magician who could give women confidence and make them ever more feminine, more sublime. He believed in the importance of respect and in the capacity of this fundamental value not only to bring out the beauty in women, but also to bring out the best in all people.
His values, his genius and his legacy have contributed to enhancing France’s image and culture around the world for more than sixty years.
The values that Monsieur Dior taught us are unchanged today. Those values are carried on by the wonderful and diverse group of people within the House of Dior who devote all their talent and energy to achieving the ultimate in artisanship and femininity, respecting traditional skills and incorporating modern techniques.The heart of the House of Dior, which beats unseen, is made up of its teams and studios, of its seamstresses and craftsmen, who work hard day after day, never counting the hours, and carrying on the values and the vision of Monsieur Dior.
What you are going to see now is the result of the extraordinary, creative, and marvelous efforts of these loyal, hardworking people.
Thank you."
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