THE FASH PACK

John Galliano Is Reportedly Suing Christian Dior

Naomi Mdudu — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:45:00 BST

The fact that John Galliano had his Legion of Honour stripped from him last week was the just the latest addition in what has been a trying past two years from him and based on new reports, it looks like the drama isn't quite over.

According to the Telegraph, Galliano is set to be in court again but instead of having a case heard against him, he's the one taking legal action and against former employer Christian Dior S.A. It is 'believed that Galliano has lodged an employee/employer dispute claim for over €15 million [$18.85 million] at the Conseil des Prud’hommes,' the newspaper reports.

François Hollande Strips John Galliano Of His Legion Of Honor

Naomi Mdudu — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:22:33 BST

To say that the last two years have been hard for John Galliano would be a big understatement. After that video was released showing him making anti-Semitic remarks in Paris, he was dismissed from his position at both Christian Dior and his namesake label before being convicted shortly after, and just when we thought the worse was over, things got even worse this week.

New French president François Hollande confirmed that he is revoking the designer's Legion of Honor that he was awarded in 2010, and it's a big deal. It's rare for France to strip people of their honors. The only time it has ever been taken was from Vichy official Maurice Papon after he was found guilty 'of complicity in Nazi crimes against humanity' in 1991, so make of that what you will.

Do you think he deserved to be stripped of his Legion of Honor?

Anna Wintour Dined With John Galliano On The Day Of The Dior Couture Show

Naomi Mdudu — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:49:32 BST

With Raf Simons showing his highly anticipated debut collection at Christian Dior this week, his name has scarcely been out of the headlines. What many didn't expect, though, was that Simons would be sharing the spotlight with the brand's former creative director, John Galliano.

Aside from one sighting shortly after his trial, Galliano has been pretty much incognito but this week an Instgram user, Albert Pang, uploaded an image of what look liked Anna Wintour dining with Galliano at the L'Espadon restaurant at the Ritz in Paris. What makes the photo even more interesting is that it revealed that the pair met up on the same day as Simons' Dior debut.

Pang told The Cut in an email:

[He] arrived alone and took a seat outdoor[s] where I was, and ordered a drink (not sure what drink, [I] couldn't see it [be]cause I was two tables away). The picture with a few people was someone from the table who knew Galliano, and they said hi. Then about 10 or 15 minutes later Anna Wintour came and she seemed very excited, with hurried steps to Galliano. If I remember correctly, they hugged. But I couldn't hear a thing. Then they moved indoors for dinner.

Does this mean that we might be planning a return? I sure hope so.

Quote Me: Seth Meyers Made The First Galliano Joke At The CFDA Awards

Naomi Mdudu — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 21:47:23 BST

“

You could even say that fashion and comedy go together like Bar Mitzvahs and Galliano.

”The comedian said in his opening speech at the awards ceremony.

Jenna Lyons Reveals Who She Wants To See At Schiaparelli

Naomi Mdudu — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:40:10 BST

Ever since it was announced that Schiaparelli will make a comeback, the rumour mill has been full of speculation about who will take the big creative director's job. The majority of people, like me, were desperate to see John Galliano join the brand as a part of a big comeback but Stefano Tonchi quashed the reports at the Met Gala last week. Jenna Lyons has a different idea.

This week the J. Crew president told the New York Post that she thinks Iris Apfel would be ideal for the role. 'She's so full of life, and she's got an incredible attitude,' she said. 'I don't think she'd want to, but I think she would be amazing.'

Who would you like to see bag the role?

Diego Della Valle Refuses To Comment On Galliano For Schiaparelli Rumours

Naomi Mdudu — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:00:00 BST

This week W magazine editor Stefano Tonchi squashed any hopes that we had that John Galliano would be appointed as creative director of Schiaparelli. When big boss Diego Della Valle was asked about it by Cathy Horyn, he wouldn't talk about it:

Asked if he might consider John Galliano, Mr. Della Valle pulled a good poker face. There have been rumors, he said: “One week it’s Galliano, the next it’s someone else.” He expects to hire someone by September. Finding someone with the skill for Schiaparelli is hard enough, but many designers are used to perks and big budgets, and these don’t seem things they will find in a brand trying to create a new experience.

The brand has made no secret of the fact that they are trying to push forward with something new and who could do that better than Galliano? As The Cut put it, it's unlikely that he will reap the perks that he had at Dior but the opportunity sounds like just what he needs to make a comeback.

Stefano Tonchi Hints That John Galliano Is Not Joining Schiaparelli

Naomi Mdudu — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:39:16 BST

Last month rumours began to circulate that John Galliano will serve as the artistic director at Schiaparelli. While the reports were denied by his rep, his appointment does seem to make sense. The brand officially announced their comeback on the eve of the Met Gala as we all expected, and there's no denying that the fashion industry is desperate to have Galliano back. Sadly though, Stefano Tonchi dashed our hopes yesterday on the red carpet of the event.

'There's a lot of designers that I think would do a great job,' he told The Cut. Very soon they will make the announcement, so I already know a little bit too much. But I thought that it could be fun to have John back doing it - as in, Galliano.' As Charlotte Clowes points out, 'thought' suggests that any hope of Galliano coming back are pointless. He added: 'But you know, that too much of a risky proposition probably. At least for America. But I think he's really talented.' According to Vanessa Friedman, the announcement will take place in September followed by the brand's first show next March during Paris Fashion Week.

Are you excited?

With Raf Simons In At Dior, What Happens To Bill Gaytten?

Naomi Mdudu — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:00:00 BST

With all of the attention on Raf Simons since he was announced as the creative director at Dior, not much has been said about what happens to Bill Gaytten. While it's true that his first collection for the house went down with critics like a lead balloon, over the last five seasons he has done a pretty good job considering all of the circumstances. He took hold of the reigns at the house in the interim with the whole of the fashion industry watching his every move, which is a hard task by anyone's standards.

Gaytten has always made it clear throughout this period that he wants his role to be a permanent one and looking back, none of us really took his comments seriously nor did we actually see him as a real contender for the job. What his position at Dior is now Simons' appointment has been made public is unclear but what we do know is that he is still holding the forte at Galliano's label. After a pretty tough last few months we wouldn't be surprised if Gaytten is enjoying the spotlight and pressure moving to someone else.

Ralph Rucci Will Recieve A Lifetime Achievement Award

Naomi Mdudu — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:00:00 BST

At the beginning of the year Ralph Rucci was surrounded by rumours that his brand Chado Ralph Rucci was suffering from financial woes, a rumour which intensified when they announced that they would not unveil their Fall 2012 collection in a catwalk show. Money problems aside, though, it's not all doom and gloom for the designer.

Over the weekend WWD confirmed that the Savannah College of Art and Design will present him with this year's André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award, which will see him follow in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano who have also scooped the award. The big event is set to take place at the school's annual student fashion show on May 19 and the a selection of 'personally select[ed] items' from his line will be showcased in a special exhibition.

BREAKING: Raf Simons Is The New Creative Director Of Dior

Naomi Mdudu — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:45:32 BST

The speculation and ongoing rumours about who will replace John Galliano as the creative director of Dior is the story that has kept on giving. Every time we thought a candidate was a dead cert to bag the big job, another name was thrown into the hat but thankfully that all came to an end yesterday. The New York Times confirmed that Raf Simons has been appointed as his successor.

'The first time I heard about the Dior position, I thought, 'This feels right,'' he told Cathy Horyn. 'It is one of the ultimate challenges, and a dream to go to a place like Dior, which stands for absolute elegance, incredible femininity and utter luxury.' Although the news about his appointment is everywhere, Horyn and Suzy Menkes have said that the official announcement will not come until at least Tuesday.

In the meantime, though, the response to the news has been good. As you'll recall, Simons departure from Jil Sander last month was emotionally charged as the fashion industry waved him farewell with a long standing ovation at his last show for the house. The news of his return and at a house as big as Dior is exciting with many calling his appointment the start of a new era.

Do you think Simons is the right man for the big job?