Milan and New York have their fashion moments, but Paris still sets the standard. For much of the past decade, the highlights of every fashion week in the French capital have come from two British wunderkinds.
No one has consistently presented more amazing shows than John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. I was fortunate to see several shows by both designers — McQueen often showed wildly imaginative collections in arenas far from the Louvre, where many shows are held, while Galliano created lavish collections for Christian Dior with sets worthy of a Broadway blockbuster, along with quirkier shows featuring his namesake line (one included farm animals) — and they never ceased to amaze with their sheer beauty and sense of theatricality.
But neither designer was able to cope with his demons and, as a result, fashion has lost much of its magic.
Galliano was dismissed from his job as creative director at Dior Tuesday, following a drunken, anti-Semitic rant at a Paris bar and the release of a video in which he said, "I love Hitler." His dismissal comes a little over a year after McQueen committed suicide and a few days before Galliano's fall collection for DIor is to be shown in Paris.
Galliano seemed an odd choice when he was hired as creative director at Dior in 1997. Known as the "enfant terrible" of the fashion scene, he took pleasure in shocking and courting controversy. But bankrolled by the deep pockets of luxury conglomerate LVMH, Galliano indulged his wildest fashion fantasies and made Dior relevant again with fresh looks that updated and honored the traditions of the famed French fashion house.
His shows were often controversial — a collection of tattered gowns inspired by homeless people in Paris drew pickets in front of Dior headquarters — and almost always memorable. For Dior's 60th anniversary in 2007, Galliano pulled out all the stops with a haute couture show at Versailles inspired by 500 years of art history and featuring supermodels Naomi Campbell and Giselle Bündchen. With the exception of Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, few designers have had such large financial backing to dream as big as Galliano.
At the end of each Dior show, the audience cheered until Galliano made a dramatic appearance on the runway in a dramatic pose, his profile enhanced by a spotlight. Until recently, the 50-year-old designer usually came out barechested. Then he would retreat to a backstage tent where he would receive only selected visitors.
Such eccentricities seemed oddly endearing until his recent outburst. Galliano's anti-Semitic rant seemed to catch everyone off-guard. The New York Times cites several friends who said that the designer's behavior had become erratic and that he had been drinking heavily. Oscar winner Natalie Portman, the face of the Miss Dior Cherie fragrance, said she was
"shocked and disgusted" by his behavior. Some are wondering if Portman forced Dior's hand with her strong condemnation. Nowdays, perfume adds a lot more to the bottom line than haute couture.
Such disgusting behavior isn't exclusive to the fashion industry (note Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson), but the idea of the tortured genius seems to be part of the fashion myth.
‘‘The trouble with fashion is that it’s a hard job and in the end it makes you crazy,’’ fashion consultant Donald Potard told
the Times. ‘‘There’s so much pressure to create and create all the time. You must be strong or this job will destroy you.’’
I don't buy it. It's a tough business, but coal miners have it a lot harder. Top designers are often treated like spoiled brats, with their every whim indulged and their eccentricities overlooked. They are overpraised by the fashion press, particularly if they work for a large conglomerate with a big advertising budget, until they do something so heinous it can't be ignored. When was the last time Vogue offered honest criticism of a designer?
I suspect Galliano and Gibson would be foul-mouthed bigots no matter what profession they took up. But it's sad to see such talent wasted.
Galliano is reported already
headed for rehab. He is likely to come out, repent his sins and resurrect his career at a fashion house that needs help.
Meanwhile, Dior will continue under the direction of another hot name — Lanvin's Alber Elbaz and Ricardo Tischi of Givenchy are among the early favorites to succeed Galliano. The
McQueen label, under the direction of his longtime assistant Sarah Burton, lacks theatrics but it has drawn good notices, which is likely more than enough for its owner the Gucci Group. (Michelle Obama wore one of Burton's McQueen gowns to the state dinner for the Chinese premiere.) In fashion, like any business, the bottom line is the bottom line.
And there will always be the next big thing.
