‘Douche du Jour’: Dior’s Galliano Suspended over Anti-Semitic Tirade

‘Douche du Dior’ would be a more fitting title for this column today…

International fashion design icon John Galliano, he of Dior fame, has been suspended from the legendary fashion house after his arrest last night for a drunken anti-Semitic tirade in a crowded Paris bar. The 50-year-old British designer was detained by Paris police on charges of “light violent acts” and “insults of anti-Semitic nature” after a mostly verbal altercation with a couple in the heavily Jewish Marais quarter of the French capital. I say ‘mostly verbal’ because Galliano allegedly traded slaps with the couple.

Witnesses signed sworn statements saying Galliano “swore heavily, using anti-Jewish insults, before attacking a couple.” But other witnesses have come forward to claim there were no anti-Semitic insults and the whole fracas occurred because the designer insulted the woman’s handbag.

Regardless, Galliano has been suspended from his post as design director at Christian Dior, just in time for the Oscars and Paris Fashion Week. “Christian Dior has an unequivocal zero-tolerance policy regarding anti-Semitism and racism,” said Sidney Toledano, chairman and chief executive of Christian Dior Couture. The celebrity blog Socialite Life says that “What this means for the fashion house, however, is utter chaos. With Paris Fashion Week looming, the word is out on whether the show will go on. Galliano’s Dior show is scheduled for Friday, March 4th, and Galliano has his own label’s show set for Sunday, March 6th. Also hanging in the balance are those dresses and promotions for Sunday’s Oscars. While many a lady was probably expecting to walk down the red carpet in Dior, one in particular might have to back out. Natalie Portman was widely expected to wear Dior as the face of Miss Dior Cherie. Portman is Jewish. Awkward.”

Hey, if he’s out at Dior (and word on the street is that he already had one foot out the door), Galliano can always kick back with Mel Gibson on his private island in Fiji!

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