Dior Fires Galliano

by Derek Dotto

John Galliano has been handed his walking papers after a barrage of accusations of racist and anti-Semitic rants. Dior’s president and CEO, Sidney Toledano, told WWD, “I condemn most firmly the statements made by John Galliano, which are a total contradiction with the essential values that have always been defended by the House of Christian Dior.”

Dior suspended Galliano Thursday after he was arrested for allegedly hurling racist and anti-semitic slurs at a couple while drinking at La Perle, a Parisian ‘see and be seen’ hotspot. The final straw came when a video, reportedly shot last year, surfaced online, showing the British designer declaring he loves Hitler, among other controversial remarks, at the same restaurant.

Recent Oscar winner and face of Miss Dior Cherie perfume, Natalie Portman, ripped into Galliano saying she’s “shocked and disgusted,” adding, "as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way."

Galliano's firing leaves the House of Dior sans-creative director just days before its Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 ready-to-wear collection is slated to be shown at Paris Fashion Week. The question now is who will take the reigns, and how long will it take for Galliano to be snatched up by another fashion house.

Check out the video of Galliano's remarks below:

Rodarte for 'Black Swan'

By Katie Beattie

@katiembeattie

New movie, “Black Swan” is being hailed as some of the finest work by actress Natalie Portman. The movie follows the story of a ballerina named Nina (Portman) in a New York City ballet company, whose life is completely devoted to dance. Nina and a new dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) are narrowed down as the top choices for the lead role in “Swan Lake”, playing both the White Swan representing innocence and grace, and the Black Swan representing lust and sensuality. Nina is the perfect fit for the White Swan, where Lily is the perfect fit for the Black Swan. Throughout the movie Nina and Lily expand their rivalry and Nina becomes dangerously more in touch with her dark side.

While film critics are excited over Portman’s work, on the other hand, fashionistas are abuzz over something else; that something being the film’s “forward-thinking ballet costumes by Rodarte, the insider-favourite label by sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy” according to an article from the Associated Press.

“Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky and costume designer Amy Westcott wanted to reinvent the whole sense of the story, and use the contemporary fashion designer “to take it to a new level”.

Rodarte previously found inspiration for past collections by tapping into horror films and ballet, the same elements that are found in the movie. However, Laura Mulleavy did state that producing fashion-forward ballet costumes did prove to be a challenge, “How do you make something look realistic as a tutu and function?” She admits that at times style took precedence over function.

To see the fabulous designs by Rodarte and the amazing performances in “Black Swan” the movie opens December 4^th, 2010.