Well, I actually thought this happened a while back, but I was wrong. Does everyone remember the John Galliano controversy? He was first arrested and briefly detained in Paris after he had been accused of making anti-Semitic remarks while hammered one night. The issue – in France – is that there are laws about hate speech, as well as public intoxication. The issue might have blown over if not for the video that was released a few days later of Galliano – on a separate occasion – making more drunken, anti-Semitic remarks, and claiming to “love Hitler”. Everybody got upset and LVMH, the parent company of Christian Dior, put Galliano on indefinite suspension. Then Galliano checked himself into rehab, and released a bitchy statement about how no one knows the real story about him loving Hitler or something.
Anyway, Galliano was fired from Christian Dior last month after being suspended, and now he’s been officially fired from his “John Galliano” line, which is also primarily owned by LVMH
John Galliano has reportedly been fired by his namesake label, according to Women’s Wear Daily. He was dismissed from his duties at Christian Dior last month after his arrest for assault and making anti-Semitic remarks, but until now, it was unclear what would happen with the designer’s eponymous line, 91 percent of which is owned by Dior. The decision was supposedly made at a recent meeting.
WWD writes that selling the Galliano house “is not an immediate priority,” although there have been offers, adding:
“It is understood the in-house design team at John Galliano, which shares members with Dior’s, will be charged with producing collections at a house prized for bias-cut dresses, newspaper prints and retro-tinged tailoring. A pre-spring collection is already said to be in the works.”
The label held its ready-to-wear show in March without the designer present. There were only 19 looks and a model, perhaps unwittingly, made a statement with a Jewish star tattoo.
Last weekend, Galliano was spotted at Los Angeles International (LAX) Airport where he was shouted at by a passerby. He is rumored to have completed a one-month stay at rehab in Arizona and is expected to receive a court date in France come May 12.
It kind of sucks that he doesn’t even get to own his own named label, but thems the breaks. Anyway, I can’t wait for his court date! First Linnocent will be going down (hopefully), and then Galliano. It should be good!
Does this strike anyone else as very similar to the Charlie Sheen situation? Couldn’t Galliano now claim that since he’s been through rehab, it’s wrong for him to be fired? He’s made the effort to change, I suppose. I don’t know, it kind of reminded me of the Charlie Sheen thing. Maybe Galliano will go on a Torpedo of Truth tour too.
Photos courtesy of Fame.
Raccoon and him make a great pair I have to say.
so ugly that he’s painful to look at.
since when can you go to rehab for being an entitled, bigoted a-hole?
he was a douche last month and he remains a douche today….
Do you know that the guy from that first couple John got into that insult fight with, the ones who called the police? Well, he came on the radio a week after and said that later he found out who John really was and what he did…etc etc. That he was sorry for what was happening to him (John) and how sorry he was that everything had blown up into this huge thing.
I’m not defending, just telling.
He looks as if he smells (alot in a bad way)
Is anyone catching the irony? Look at that second pic, the one where he has the two braids. That “look” is kind of borrowed from the way certain jewish men dress in their traditional garb.
Wow…he loves Hitler, but will steal a look from the religion he allegedly has a problem with? Just looking at these pics of this douchebag makes me nauseated. Gross!
The “John Galliano” line was worthless the moment the scandal broke. They’re probably just saving on salary by pinkslipping him now.
He looks like a pompous ass!
Pepi Le’ Pew
Praise, I agree. Over the years, I’ve known plenty of addicts and not-a-one has ever expressed admiration of a genocidal maniac in my presence.
He can blame booze or blow, but “I love Hitler” doesn’t come out of you unless it’s in you to begin with.
@kimbob yes he definitely resembles a Hasidim or orthodox jew in that pic (definitely ironic)
WOW, what do they say about karma??? guess this guy can tell you.Too bad though,hes very talented.What a waste.
This is truly too bad. Galliano has really set the tone of fashion and design for the past 20 years. He is a true designer who other designers look to for inspiration. I completely understand LMVH firing him, but to have such an amazing talent go down like this so sad.
No Galliano, no McQueen 🙁
Love the post title.
What he did, in any light is wrong and he probably needs all the help he can get.
Having said that, as a fashion enthusiast I am sad that this is the “end” of such an incredible designer. He is talented, and it is such a shame that all his work will now be forever tainted.
Truly disappointed.
Gotta love purging intolerance with intolerance.
This is a sad situation, this. This is a prime example of a fact that decades of hard work, building up your life, name and career can be annulled with one mistake. I try to remain tolerant, but I can’t stand for this.
In the second photo he looks like a South Beach orthodox jew. Racist! A**hole! Hitler had nothing “lovable” about him.
I agree with J, and Rasputina to some degree. The things he said were indefensible, I hope he knows that, and is sorry (not sorry I got caught sorry, or sorry my career’s in the pan sorry), genuinely, heartsick sorry for this horrible episode, and had taken full responsibility for it. But equally, I hope that he can try and rebuild his life and do what his does best again.
They should cancel the entire line! Nobody wants to wear this “label” anymore anyway.
An ugly excuse for a human being. In looks and personality.
Eww! This guy looks too creepy. What he said about Hitler was really stupid because Galliano is a gay man and Hitler hated gay people and would have had him killed or put in a camp along with everyone else who was persecuted and murdered during the holocaust.
so sad and so tragic.
first we lose mcqueen and now galiano.
Why is that you can say “I love Hitler” or “…jews run the media” (Rick Sanchez) and your career is destroyed.
But if you call black women nappy headed hos on live tv(Don Imus) or if you freely use the “N” word (Dog the Bounty) you are suspended for a month then come back to your TV and radio shows and are allowed to continue your career?
Why are racist or bigoted comments against Black people not taken as seriously? Are jews considered more important?
Does this make me anti-semitic because I ask this question? I really want to know.
He won’t be able to use his own name as a label ever again and this is nothing. He won’t be able to use his name independently either because it’s likely that LVMH added his name in his contract (that they own it as a trading name).
I only know of one designer this has happened to in Australia and it was a similar situation, without the anti-semitism, where a company owned the name/label so when the split was announced, the designer was prohibited from ever using his name as a business name. It depends on trading laws in each country, but LVMH are pretty ruthless and competitive, so I doubt they’ll permit Galliano to use his name. He’ll probably end up downgradinghis flamboyance and designing collections for Top Shop or, failing that, K-Mart/Target.
@ Gom, that’s a valid question. But it’s a difficult predicament. It may be that the Arnault family is Jewish, who knows? So it wouldn’t really sit well.
And yeah, when stuff like this happens and a percentage of Jewish people get riled up, demanding action, they tend to marginalize themselves even further.
In an average corporation, if an employee did what Galliano did, they’d be given a warning, followed by in-house counselling.
Whenever I tune into MTV, which is only at the gym, all I see are African American artists featuring women in derogatory positions, bikinis and all else (it’s practically clothed porn) and that is considered culture by the likes of Jay Z, whose book Oprah has chosen to be on her book club list.
But yeah, say anything that either questions the validity of Israel’s policies and it’s on. Still though, Galliano did say some things that were beyond the pale.
I just think that LVMH were looking for a new designer, that Galliano reached his use by date, and they realised that he is a mean drunk, and found an opportunity to screw him over – that way they don’t have to pay any compensation because he breaches some clause in his contract.
@Praise St. Angie! – “so ugly that he’s painful to look at. since when can you go to rehab for being an entitled, bigoted a-hole?”
The can’t stand to look at comment, AGREED. He looks so creepy. How he ended up in a world where beauty is a prerequisite, I’ll never understand.
Rehab thing… When one has repeated instances of saying disgusting things *only* while *drunk*, I do think rehab was necessary. (He obviously did have a drinking problem). But that doesn’t excuse what his actions & comments.
He has to take responsibility for his behavior.. Though being fired by your own namesake company is really harsh, it’s all about the bottom line. All his comments were publisized, & no one is going to want to support anything he works on. Perfect solution is to take him out of the picture entirely.
I wasn’t at all surprised he was fired from Dior, but I am a little at his own company.
I second that , gom.
also I find it hard to believe he wasn’t indulging some absurd, inflammatory nonsense. people who really DO love hitler .. keep it to themselves.. ?
@ Gom, I don’t pretend to know the answer to your question but it could be about $$$, Israel, or the fear that anti-Jewish rhetoric could lead to another Holocaust. Maybe it’s a swirl of those things.
He didn’t want to belong to any club that would have him as a member.
@ V – I would wear anything with his name on it. But then again, I appreciate talent and ability to create beautiful things regardless of the creator’s world views, personality and behaviour. I think it’s unfair that everything magnificent you’ve ever created will be thrown to the pigs just because you yourself are an asshole. Then again, I’m a (lousy) artist myself, I encounter supertalented assholes all the time.
@ Maria – learn German history. Especially Germany in 20s.
I don’t like it at all when people see the world in black and white and are being judgemental because of it. That goes for some of the commenters here, but to Galliano as well.
So this fruit loop hates Jews? He obviously doesn’t see the irony of his feelings.
He used to have his own designer to design those dopey runway outfits for him.
Then he’d come out and preen and pose in them on the runway, like Gloria Swanson at the the end of Sunset Boulevard.
Most designers wave from the curtains or have a cheerful, dignified walk with their star model.
I’m glad someone finally pricked this doof’s pomposity balloon.
If the same standard used on Galliano was used on American politicians who bash Muslims to further their career, we would have very few politicians left. There are over 6 million Muslims living in America and we’re completely powerless to stop the politicians and pundits from using us to create an atmosphere of hate and distrust.
The reason that France has much tougher anti-hate-speech laws and vilifies hate speech about Nazism and anti-semitism is that France was occupied and France had its Jews carted off to camps in Germany and Poland.
After the war, when the true extent of the horrors became known, France had a lot of soul-searching to do – specifically because it only could have happened with French collaboration. So, to stop such a thing from ever happening again, they enacted protective legislation.
Note that Germany has similar laws now. Can you blame them? Their shame led them to try to legislatte a kinder society.
i think the extent of the sh*tstorm that came raining down on him- and how fast- is kind of scary. sure it’s a dumb thing to say, but damn, one wrong line and that’s it for everything you’ve done in your career?! and the commenter above has a point. in galliano’s case, it’s like he just chose the wrong people to insult.
John Galliano is a freaking genius. What is happening to him is so wrong I cannot believe it. Now I’m not saying that it’s ok to be a hater but in all honesty who hasn’t got pissed and spouted off shite? Did you lose your career? Everything you have ever worked for? No. And nor should he. Especially as we have NO IDEA what might have happended to provoke it. Let’s say for instance, man is drunk and loud and mouthing off, and the people sitting next to him make a homophobic remark, and he responds by saying he “loves Hitler”. Not so bad anymore hey? I think the poor guy is getting a super hard time way out of proportion to the action.