John Galliano to Leave Maison Margiela

BY Beatriz Leal

July 22, 2024

Will he come back as Christian Dior’s creative director? Sources say he might be going to Fendi.

John Galliano is leaving Maison Margiela this autumn, say reliable sources. After a decade, the designer has decided not to renew his contract at the Paris-based fashion house, despite Renzo Rosso (chairman of OTB group, owner of Maison Margiela) wanting him to stay longer.

Rumors about Galliano making a big move in his career started when he deleted all the posts on his Instagram account a few months ago.

“As you know – and it is normal in our industry – there are always a lot of rumors when creative talents are concerned. We never comment on them. All we can say is that relations between John Galliano, Maison Margiela, and our group chairman Renzo Rosso, are very good,” said a spokesperson for OTB.

Courtesy of Maison Margiela

And what is the next step? Dior is the most speculated option, given his 14 years as creative director of the Maison. The position of creative director at Chanel is vacant, but it is unlikely that Galliano will take it due to the accusations of antisemitism (which led to his dismissal from Dior in 2011), and Chanel is owned by the Wertheimers, a highly discreet Jewish family.

Courtesy of Christian Dior Haute Couture

Another potential destination is Fendi. LVMH, the luxury conglomerate that owns Fendi, has declined to comment.

Fendi has two creative directors: Kim Jones (womenswear and couture) and Silvia Venturini Fendi (accessories, children, and menswear). Jones joined the Rome-based brand in September 2020, and his designs for Fendi have been criticized, while his designs for Dior menswear have been praised.

In May, Fendi appointed a new CEO, Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou, which often signals a shift in creative direction for the brand.

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