Photo: Style.com's Photo Wall

“I could never do this anywhere else, do you know what I mean? Not just the Paris thing, but Vuitton, allows me,” Jacobs enthusiastically told the Daily Telegraph after the show. The Telegraph also reports that the negotiations between Jacobs and Dior may have hit the proverbial wall — again —  thanks to the designer’s insistence that his entire LV team come with him.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times‘ Vanessa Friedman seems to think that Christian Dior’s collaboration with German contemporary artist Anselm Reyle — the luxury house’s first — on a line of accessories is a sign that Jacobs is indeed on his way to Dior. “As it happens, the driving force behind the Dior/Reyle partnership was Delphine Arnault…deputy general manager of Dior Couture [who] is also reportedly one of the most vocal proponents of moving Mr Jacobs to Dior, an eventuality that is looking more and more likely.”

The Dior announcement is weeks away, according to Sidney Toledano and he wants us all to just hold our horses and show a little patience. But dammit it’s 2011, no one has an attention span longer than a gnat and patience is so last millennium. Just rehire John Galliano and stop boring me. [Daily Telegraph, Financial Times]

Photo: Style.com's Photo Wall

Christian Dior — alongside Pierre Balmain — worked for Parisian couturier Lucien Lelong during World War II and ensured that Nazi wives were the chicest anti-Semites of the Third Reich. Unlike Boss, who was an early co-signer to the Nazi party — Dior’s involvement was a move to preserve the tradition of Haute Couture, with Lelong being quoted as saying ”You can impose anything upon by force, but Paris couture cannot be uprooted, neither as a whole or in any part. Either it stays in Paris or it does not exist.”

Meanwhile, Dior’s sister, Catherine was a member of the French Resistance and was deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp, the memory of which was invoked at the fall 2011 Dior show by CEO Sidney Toledano as he addressed the audience following Galliano’s dismissal. Catherine was released in May of 1945 and two years later, Dior revolutionized womenswear with his acclaimed “New Look,” liberating women by giving them back their “sparkle and joyfulness,” to paraphrase Toledano.

One woman who was perhaps a little too liberated was Francoise Dior, Dior’s whackadoo neo-Nazi niece who openly professed her love for all things Kampf in a 1963 video that went viral during Gallianogate. In said video, Franny extolled the virtues of “defending the race” and keeping the bloodline “pure’; words she would put into action by attacking British synagogues and sticker-bombing Swastikas at the British Embassy in France.

The changing of the guard at any house is bound to cause some ripples –  a loss of both footing and vision — and considering the immense talent Gaytten is following, it’s understandable he would want to assert his own voice into the Dior lexicon.

Gaytten’s voice was, however, lost in translation, producing one of the sloppiest and most incoherent couture shows I’ve seen in a while.

Granted, I’m observing, much like you, from my laptop thousands of miles away and thus the intricacies of the gowns are lost on me. Still, with haute couture, particularly with Dior Haute Couture,  there’s a brilliance that shines through in spite of the viewer’s distance or technical knowledge.

No doubt the pieces were brilliantly and painstakingly constructed by one of the most, if not the most, talented atelier in the world, but without Galliano’s influence there’s no clear identifying vision.

Instead, there are garish colors thrown together rather haphazardly with even more garish prints; an abundance of overworked and unfinished taffeta, gazar and organza that just ended up looking messy; and a jarring lack of cohesion that only hinted at the Dior aesthetic without fully realizing it.

If not for the big budget and even bigger name behind it all, this show could easily be mistaken for a graduate show from FIT or, even worse, a Project Runway finale collection.

Though the Christian Dior aesthetic was lost on its own couture show, it was certainly found by Giambattista Valli.

In his couture debut, Valli presented a beautiful collection heavy on the drama and on Old Hollywood, two Galliano trademarks that Valli managed to make his own. Hopefully Sidney Toledano and Bernard Arnault, the head honchos at Dior and parent company LVMH respectively, were paying attention.

Photos: Style.com

Photo: NYT

Horyn, in her usual straight-shooter fashion, posits that Galliano’s very public unraveling could have been avoided had Bernard Arnault and Dior chief exectuive Sidney Toledano “sufficiently addressed” his problems:

“Nothing about this affair has ever felt right — not his abusive comments, not his self-destructive behavior, not the way he was dismissed….His personality and showmanship were definitely part of Dior’s success, and maybe there was a fear of meddling with it.”

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an executive at LVMH told Horyn there had been “casual discussions” about Galliano returning to his eponymous label. Both this and another executive seemed to think that the media and public would accept the return and resurgence of John Galliano.

Horyn thinks, and I certainly agree, that John Galliano deserves a second chance, but what do you think, dear readers? Is it too late to save his once-brilliant career or does time — and rehab — heal all wounds? [NYT]

The fashion Industry was in uproar last week after John Galliano was dismissed as Creative Director from Christian Dior following numerous anti-Semitic allegations made against the designer. Galliano has denied all allegations made against him and claimed that he is of partial Jewish ancestry, although this has not been verified. The dismissal on 1^st March came immediately following the release of a video clip of the designer, who was unquestionably inebriated, stating, “I love Hitler”.

When I first heard the news and watched the video post that was made public over the World Wide Web, I was unsurprised by his behavior and by the reaction from Dior.

I was introduced to the designer after the 2009 Spring-Summer Haute Couture Dior show, in January 2009 and while he was polite, my lasting impressions of him were not favorable. I found him to have a thick and unattractive façade. It has long been known within the fashion industry that Galliano was prone to living a hedonistic lifestyle that resulted in drink and drug related addictions and although it seemed he had been clean for some time, there were rumors circulating that he had relapsed, partly due to the pressure of producing 12 collections a year. He was responsible for six collections for Dior, including the bi-annual Haute Couture, and six collections for his own label. Recent speculation that he had been increasingly less involved with the design process for Dior over the past few years was also starting to emerge.

Christian Dior is the largest holding company within LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) the world’s leading luxury goods conglomerate. Billionaire financier, Bernard Arnault owns 48% of LVMH and in turn, the company, which creates billions of dollars in revenue every year, can easily afford to ensure video clips such as these never see the light of day. Yet, on this occasion, they chose not to.

The fact that Dior fired the designer so promptly, confirmed a personal prediction that the company had been looking for a way to let him go for some time due to repeated displays of inappropriate behavior. The leaked footage, which was not the first of its kind, was the final piece of evidence needed to terminate their chief designer without a pay off that would have been in the region of $25 million.

After all, Christian Dior was established as a couture house post World War II and was considered to represent a new beginning. Given this legacy, Galliano’s comments were as much anti-Dior as they were anti-Semitic.

While I accept that there are people in this world who, through lack of education or for their own reasons, are racially intolerant, Galliano’s words were inarguably appalling. However, given the encouragement from the amateur filmmaker, on this occasion, they may well have been for shock value. Galliano’s personality, like his work, is known for being theatrical and provocative. Even accepting this possibility, one can’t help but wonder what might have been behind his hateful comments. In the video, Galliano tells the woman, “You are ugly”. Since the designer does not possess model good looks himself, most viewers have inferred that his remarks were an attempt to cover his deep-rooted depression and insecurity.

More than the reason behind the tirade, I have been intrigued by the mixed reactions. Academy Award winning actress, Natalie Portman, who had an endorsement contract with Dior for its fragrance Miss Dior Chérie, made this statement, “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments. I hope at the very least, these terrible comments remind us to reflect upon these prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful.”

Meanwhile, costume designer Patricia Field, defended Galliano’s tirade as being “misunderstood theatre.” While there are mixed opinions within the fashion elite, many insiders have refused to comment, other than to suggest, “It is a shame.” I was interested to pinpoint what precisely people felt was a shame. Is it the fact that he is no longer Creative Director of Dior? Or that he would make such remarks? A general consensus seemed to indicate that editors felt it was a shame this incident had tarred the fashion Industry while Karl Largerfeld stated, “It is a horrible image for fashion.”

While it clearly isn’t a positive reflection, I hardly feel that the general public looks upon the directors of the fashion world as saintly. For many outsiders, who have never met a designer in their life, the closest image they have to relate to, are the characters from ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’

Rather more, because of this attention, accounts of Galliano’s achievements have been highlighted in the media. Galliano’s design talents were noted at a young age, while he was still a student at Central Saint Martin’s College in London where he graduated with a first class honors degree. His first collection, inspired by the French Revolution, was bought by London boutique, Browns. Shortly after, he was able to start his own label. A few seasons later, he moved to Paris, where his talents were recognized by Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley. In 1995 he was appointed as the designer for Givenchy, also part of LVMH, and within two years, he replaced Gianfranco Ferre as the chief designer at Christian Dior. Many have cited his great attention to detail as playing a large factor in his success.

Galliano’s suspension came before he was able to complete work on the Dior Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 Collection. Consequently, the Paris Fashion Week show, held last Friday, was preceded by a formal announcement from Dior Chairman, Sidney Toledano, confirming the termination and apologizing on behalf of the company, for Galliano’s comments. Since the designer was not present, the final walk was taken by the Dior atelier, walking out to a standing ovation from the tearful audience.

Over the past few years, Dior has produced some incredible collections, notably in 2008 and 2009. Dresses that are timelessly chic and reminiscent of Dior’s famous New Look. This last collection could not have been more different. It was a tribute production, characteristically John Galliano, with the first model wearing a long cape and tall boots, looking distinctively like the designer himself. Could Galliano have known this would be his last collection for the label?

While I consider that a possibility, I do not share the view that many seem to have taken that this is the end of the road for him professionally. He has reportedly now checked into a rehabilitation facility in Phoenix, which will hopefully give him the opportunity to address his inner demons. This is exactly where he needs to be right now. Many in the fashion Industry may be fair weather friends, but there are equally as many who I am sure will be there to offer him the strength and encouragement that he so obviously needs.

While emotions are running high, many are speaking as if he has retired or worse, as if he has died. I would not be so quick to write him off. Audiences love a comeback and I have every faith that Galliano is capable of quite the encore.

As he faces trial from both Paris Police and from public opinion, reporters are already speculating as to who will take over as chief designer of Dior. One name being repeatedly mentioned is Riccardo Tisci, the current Creative Director at Givenchy. No doubt, this will be an extremely well considered decision. As it stands, LVMH stock has been strong for the past year and there has not been a noticeable decrease in value over the past week. If anything, stock value is more likely to be affected by the current rising price of oil than a changeover of staff. To put it succinctly, Dior was strong before Galliano and will continue to be, long after Galliano.

Post written by Kirsten Lea & Watch the Video’s Here

From WWD:

“It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer, however brilliant he may be,” Toledano said, in the only reference to Galliano, never mentioned by name. “What happened last week has been a terrible and wrenching ordeal for us all.

“So now, more than ever, we must publicly re-commit to the values of the House of Dior.”

See the full speech here.

Photo: Style.com’s Photowall

Well, turns out it was an assault of a verbal kind and he may not even have been arrested. The plot thickens….I don’t know how, or why, but methinks Naomi Campbell and her secret blood diamond smuggling operation are somehow behind this.

Sources originally told international news agency AFP that Galliano was arrested after verbally assaulting a couple with anti-Semitic remarks while boozed up at a café in Paris last night.

However! An eyewitness tells Vogue UK a different story:

“We had a table at La Perle and John Galliano sat next to us. He spoke to a couple at a nearby table to say ‘Cheers’ and they insulted him. An argument started and the police came, so Galliano’s bodyguard suggested that they should go to the police station to sort it out. He wasn’t ‘busted’ aggressively by police, it was very quiet and peaceful. I definitely didn’t hear him say anything anti-Semitic, or against any religion, it was all very calm.”

According to reports, Galliano was released this morning but Naomi Campbell is strangely…no where to be found. Of course I haven’t been to Russia in a while…or ever, so she might just be holed up in her billionaire boyfriend’s mansion cackling in a gold bathtub full of money.

But the plot thickens…again! Christian Dior has recently suspended Galliano “pending the results of the inquiry” regarding the alleged assault. In a statement, Dior Chief Executive Sidney Toledano explained:

“Dior affirms with the utmost conviction its policy of zero tolerance towards any antisemitic or racist words or behaviour.”

Where will this leave the Dior show in Paris next month? Will we be denied Galliano’s trademark saunter, pose and stare while accepting his applause? And will Naomi Campbell get away with this?

Link Love: Vogue UK, Reuters

Photo: Eric Ryan/Getty Images

These Marion Cotillard advertisements for Lady Dior (above – old, I know!) are here to stay but models and traditional advertising are gone. Fall 2009′s seasonal ads have been replaced with “star power” that is supposed to “give more meaning” and will more successfully “represent the values of a company”. That’s Dior CEO Sidney Toledano speaking, and I’m not trying to pick a fight, but Dior ads featuring models will certainly be missed.

SOURCE: Fashionologie