Dismissed designer
March 7, 2011
French fashion house Christian Dior said Sunday it planned to continue its support for John Galliano - the fashion brand, not the man.
Galliano's eponymous label, 92 percent owned by Dior, is set to continue production, according to Dior Chief Executive Sidney Toledano, despite the designer's sacking last week over alleged anti-Semitic comments made ahead of Paris fashion week.
On Friday, Dior put on its show in Paris without Galliano, who has reportedly left France to enter rehabilitation for alcoholism.
Galliano, 50, is due to stand trial in Paris before the end of June on charges of making racist comments in public. He was questioned by police last week and then fired after a video of him apparently drunk and saying "I love Hitler" surfaced on the Internet.
Through his lawyers in London, the Gibraltar-born designer apologized for his conduct but denied being anti-Semitic.
Sunday's Galliano show was relocated to a smaller venue and was attended by critics and buyers, but no celebrities.
Friday's full-out Dior show was described as "funereal" as the fashion house attempted to distance itself from its chief designer of 15 years, hitherto revered as one of the greatest creative talents of his generation.
When asked on Sunday who would next take Dior's helm, Toledano's only response was to throw up his hands and smile.
Author: David Levitz (AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Martin Kuebler