Photo: Via Women's Wear Daily
Oscar de la Renta set off a wave of controversy last winter when he appointed embattled-designer John Galliano to a three-week-long designer-in-residence position, and now it seems like he's looking to make things official. In a statement released yesterday, the OLDR team announced: "As we have said before, we are deeply impressed with John’s talent, and would love to find a way to work with him in the future. To date, we have not found that way." Cue the media firestorm.
It has been nearly two-and-a-half years since Galliano's infamous firing from Christian Dior as a result of his offensive anti-Semitic tirade, but for many in the industry, time has not healed all. The designer has been attempting some major damage control as of late (with appearances in
Vanity Fair
and on Charlie Rose), which we can only imagine is timed with a possible, permanent move to the American fashion house. De la Renta has actively denied rumors that Galliano will replace him, but it's clear that the two have a great working relationship, regardless of Galliano's past grievances.
"I strongly feel, regardless of what he did, that everyone in life does deserve a second chance," de la Renta told Fern Mallis in June. "And, I am happy that I was able to give John a second chance.…It would be a shame if the industry was deprived of such a talent." ODLR has been joined by key industry players like Jonathan Newhouse and Anna Wintour in his support of the designer, so we're not too surprised that Galliano may have finally found his way back to the biz. As for us, we're still not so sure — we're all for second chances, but these wounds still feel pretty darn fresh. In the end, we're hoping Galliano just lets his work (phenomenal as it is) speak for itself. (Women's Wear Daily)
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT