The 59-year-old designer John Galliano is considerably one of the most influential participants of the haute couture world, known for his interest in history and creating iconic pieces like the newspaper dress from Sex and the City. Galliano has worked for prestigious houses such as Givenchy and Dior, and currently is the creative director of Maison Margiela. Besides being a pioneer of late 90s and early 2000s trends, he is also known for the incredibly racist and anti-Semitic remarks made in October 2010 and February 2011.
Racist Past
One of Galliano’s incidents consisted of the British designer calling museum curator Geraldine Bloch a “dirty Jew” and an “ugly, disgusting whore”, even getting violent to the point of grabbing Bloch’s hair and threatening to kill her boyfriend, Philippe Virgitti. The incident happened in the Parisian restaurant La Perle located right by Galliano’s flat. It was caught on video and had many witnesses, causing the later suspension from his job as chief designer at Christian Dior.
That was not the only racist incident Galliano took part of at the time. On March 1st 2011, the British newspaper The Sun released a video of the designer saying more racist remarks, claiming he “loved Hitler” and insulting various people around him. These events resulted in the House of Dior firing Galliano, and the British designer going to court and subsequently paying €6, 000 in suspended fines.
The backlash Galliano received was intense: besides losing his jobs, he lost close friends of the fashion community and was rejected from the previous institutions that adored him and his work. The designer apologized for his remarks and blamed them on his drug addiction, for which he had been to rehab various times. But is this a valid excuse? Many say that Galliano cannot be racist since he is of mixed race himself, but once again, can we accept that statement knowing the harm he caused?
The future of the industry
Galliano is not the first or the last designer to make racist or controversial comments, but he is one of the first to have such a unique situation. Galliano was shunned, but at the same time, he is widely celebrated. Galliano may have temporarily lost his position in fashion at the time, but he currently holds great power and influence. In a recent Vogue article, Galliano chats with Anna Wintour to discuss the future of fashion and Galliano’s ideas. This shows us that even though Galliano may have said numerous racist remarks in the past, his career is alive and thriving – we can expect to see more of him and his work in the near future. Can we, as an audience, allow this or are we the ones responsible for his survival? Is this positive or negative, and what does this mean for the fashion industry?
The fashion industry has always been a controversial one, between favoring white models and being entirely fatphobic. It has only been thanks to the development of recent years that the industry has slowly but surely become more inclusive. Yet, we accept and praise figures like John Galliano, that said he loved Hitler and assaulted a Jewish woman. Should we forgive and forget, or should we set Galliano as an example for what wrong behavior is and where it will get you? Because from what I can see, Galliano’s situation only teaches us that being racist and anti-Semitic will not matter in a couple of years when everyone forgets about it.
It’s important to put into consideration the perspectives people may have concerning this situation: you may think of Galliano as an icon that shaped the industry and is an essential asset to the development of fashion, or you may see him as a bigot that will only set the industry back in time. But it does not matter what your opinion is, what matters is the actions taken against Galliano – or the lack there of. Sure, Galliano went to court and payed a fee, but what does it matter to a millionaire? His reputation was damaged, but not to the point that he cannot be seen in public. Galliano is repeatedly praised and remembered fondly for his shows at Dior, but as an avid fashion enthusiast, when there are new articles or interviews discussing Galliano, nobody mentions his past as problematic and unforgivable, but instead as a rough patch in his life – or worse, they completely ignore it and look the other way.
How should we react?
There is no denying the talent and influence Galliano possesses, but the truth is, in this modern day and age, there are so many up and coming designers and creatives itching for a job or an opportunity to show the world their talent, but their spots are taken by people like Galliano that have already peaked in their career long ago. Why do we continue and support people like Galliano, when there are so many other young, talented designers that can offer a new perspective and actually contribute to the development of the industry? Would we rather support and admire someone with such a toxic past instead of giving someone new a chance in the industry? Or, is it possible to both appreciate Galliano’s work while criticizing him? Is it possible to separate the art from the artist?