The comprehensive John Galliano update: From Charlie Rose to Vanity Fair, we chart the course of his impending comeback
John Galliano is back on the map after a two-year hiatus. The Gibraltar-born British fashion designer, who not so long ago held the reins to one of the biggest fashion houses in the industry, has been the subject of much dispute since his 2011 firing from Dior. Galliano spottings over the past couple of years have been scarce, leaving questions about a possible comeback unanswered. With a new Vanity Fair interview on the stands and a televised one just released online, Galliano seems to be straying from the low profile he’s been keeping contributing to suspicions of a rebound on the horizon. From internships at his designer pal’s atelier to facing blackout drinking, were taking a look at recent developments in John Galliano’s slow but sure return.
Galliano sat for his first televised interview since 2011 last night with Charlie Rose and the clips have already hit YouTube. During the interview, Galliano discusses making amends for his anti-Semetic remarks amongst other things, like Alexander McQueen’s suicide, his childhood and whether his high-pressure lifestyle effected his fall from grace. Without the guise of his signature dandy appearance, Galliano looked every bit the repentant part in a simple navy suit and with his hair pulled back. “At that point in my career, I had become what is known as a blackout drinker. It’s where one can’t transfer long-term memory into short-term memory, so I have no memory of that event,” he said about the night he was caught on film. Gallliano then adds to his defence by stating that at the time, he had been doing research on ballet legend Rudolf Nureyev, who was also known for making anti-Semitic statements. “When I research, I really go into it. I need to know everything.” The interview is no doubt sure to make headlines, to say the least. You can watch it in full over at CharlieRose.com.
In a recent Vanity Fair interview, the designer further described the challenges he’s faced over the past couple of years, referring mostly to his addictions to drugs and alcohol for which he has since sought treatment. Of his infamous outburst Galliano comments: “It’s the worst thing I have said in my life, but I didn’t mean it.” And of his life post-recover he says, “I have rediscovered that little boy who had the hunger to create, which I think I had lost.”
In January, Galliano made headlines for the first time in a long time when he signed up for a month-long collab with industry pro and long-time friend Oscar de la Renta, marking Galliano’s first career-related move since his “incident.” De la Renta commented to WWD, saying he was happy to be able to give his friend “the opportunity to re-immerse himself in the world of fashion and re-acclimate in an environment where he has been so creative.” He added that, “Everyone in life deserves a second chance, especially someone as talented as John.”
De la Renta isn’t the only fash-pack member to openly support Galliano’s return to the fashion world. Grace Coddington, the quirky creative director of Vogue has refused to bad-mouth Galliano since his downfall, claiming to Huffington Post that he “certainly intends to come back – when he’s ready.” Another industry hotshot, Cathy Horyn of The New York Times, has indicated that she thinks he should be given a second chance. And a second chance, he may just get.
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