John Charles Galliano^[1] CBE, RDI (born 28 November 1960) is a Gibraltar-born British fashion designer who was head designer of the French fashion companies John Galliano S.A. (1993 to April 2011)^[2], Givenchy (January 1996 to October 1996), and Christian Dior (October 1996 to March 2011).

Family[link]

He was born in Gibraltar to a Gibraltarian father, Juan Galliano, and a Spanish mother, Anita, and has two sisters.^[3]Galliano's father was a plumber.^[4] His family moved to England in pursuit of work when Galliano was six, and settled in Streatham, South London, before moving to Dulwich^[5][6] and later to Brockley.^[7] He was raised in a strict Roman Catholic family. Galliano, who was shy and diffident, often spoke of his struggle to fit in. Recalling his early days, he once admitted: "I don’t think people here understood where I was coming from." His mother, a flamenco teacher, would dress him in his "smartest" outfit even for a trip to the local shops. This, combined with his creative sensibilities, saw him frequently bullied at the London boys' grammar school he attended.^[5]

Early career[link]

After attending St. Anthony's RC School and Wilson's Grammar School in London, Galliano went on to study at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, from which he graduated in 1984 with a first class honours degree in Fashion Design. His first collection was inspired by the French Revolution and entitled Les Incroyables, with a music soundtrack mixed by DJ Jeremy Healy. The collection received positive reviews and was bought in its entirety for resale in the London fashion boutique Browns. Galliano then started his own fashion label alongside long-term collaborators Amanda Harlech, at that time stylist with Harpers and Queen, and Stephen Jones, a milliner.^{[citation needed]}

On the back of this success, Galliano rented studio space in London, but his talent was not matched by a head for business. Moreover, he would take his enjoyment of London’s nightlife to extremes.^[5] Initially, financial backing came from Johan Brun, and when this agreement came to an end, Danish entrepreneur Peder Bertelsen, owner of firm Aguecheek, who were also backing Katherine Hamnett at the time, took over. This agreement ended in 1988 and Galliano sought the backing of German agent Faycal Amor (owner and designer of fashion label Plein Sud) who directed him to set up his base in Paris. Galliano relocated to Paris in search of financial backing and a strong client base. His first show was in 1989 as part of Paris Fashion Week. By 1990, he was bankrupt and, after his own London-based label failed to re-ignite his fortunes, he moved to Paris.^[5]

Media fashion celebrity Susannah Constantine has worked for Galliano,^[8] and he has also aided the future success of other designers including shoe designer Patrick Cox. In 1991, he collaborated with Kylie Minogue, designing the costumes for her Let's Get to It Tour.^{[citation needed]}

Paris[link]

In 1993, Galliano's financial agreement with Amor ended and he did not have a showing in October, missing the season. With the help of American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley, then European Correspondent at Vanity Fair, Galliano was introduced to Portuguese socialite and fashion patron Sao Schlumberger and financial backers of venture firm Arbela Inc, John Bult and Mark Rice. It was through this partnership that Galliano received the financial backing and high society stamp needed to give him credibility in Paris. This collection was important in the development of Galliano as a fashion house, and is regarded as a 'fashion moment' in high fashion circles.^{[citation needed]}

Givenchy[link]

In July 1995, he was appointed as the designer of Givenchy by Bernard Arnault, owner of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, thus becoming the first British designer to head a French haute couture house.^{[citation needed]} On 21 January 1996, Galliano presented his first couture show at the helm of Givenchy at the Stade de France. The collection received high praise within the fashion media.^{[citation needed]} Some of Galliano's designs for Givenchy were licensed to Vogue Patterns.^[9] Less than two years later, on 14 October 1996, LVMH moved Galliano to Christian Dior, replacing Italian designer Gianfranco Ferré.^[10] The vacancy at Givenchy was filled by another British designer, Alexander McQueen. His first couture show for Dior coincided with the label's 50th anniversary, on January 20, 1997.

Dior[link]

John Galliano design for Dior, on display at the Royal Ontario Museum, 2011.

He has been quoted as identifying his love of theatre and femininity as central to his creations: "my role is to seduce", he has said, and has gone so far as recreating some of Dior's period clothing for Madonna in Evita. He has also credited Standard Oil heiress Millicent Rogers as an influence.^[11]

Suspension and dismissal[link]

On 25 February 2011, Dior announced that it had suspended Galliano following his arrest over an alleged anti-Semitic tirade in a Paris bar.^[12] The same day, Paris-based citizen journalism site Citizenside received video of Galliano on a similar rant in the same bar the previous December. In the video a drunk Galliano hurls anti-semitic rants at a group of Italian women and declares "I love Hitler... People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be fucking gassed." This incident happened just before Paris Fashion Week for Autumn/Winter 2011-12.

The video was licensed to British tabloid newspaper The Sun, which published the video on its website.^[13] After his comments he was impersonated on Saturday Night Live by Taran Killam.

Natalie Portman, a Jerusalem-born American actress who is Jewish and whose great-grandparents died at Auschwitz, had an endorsement contract with Dior for its Miss Dior Cherie fragrance. In a statement, she expressed "disgust" at Galliano's anti-semitic comments.^[14] Portman said: “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today...I hope at the very least, these terrible comments remind us to reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful.”^[15] Not everyone in the fashion industry shared Portman's disgust. Stylist and costume designer Patricia Field defended Galliano by sending an email to 500 friends, blogs and media. She dismissed Galliano's rants as "theatre." Later, in a phone interview with Women's Wear Daily, she described Galliano’s videotaped behaviour as “farce” and said she was bewildered that people in the fashion community have not recognised it as such. "It's theatre ... It's farce. But people in fashion don’t recognise the farce in it. All of a sudden they don't know him. But it's OK when it's Mel Brooks's The Producers singing 'Springtime for Hitler'”, Field added.^[16] Another model for Dior, French actress Eva Green, said of the incident: "Sometimes, you can make mistakes. I don't think he's anti-semitic. I'm Jewish. I don't think he has anything against the Jews. I think it's more that he was probably a bit drunk."^[17]

On 1 March 2011, Dior announced that it had begun procedures of dismissal for Galliano, with Dior's chief executive Sidney Toledano stating, "I very firmly condemn what was said by John Galliano".^[18] After the incident Galliano's popular personal website was jammed and made unavailable for visitors.^[19] Galliano denied the allegations through his attorney,^[18] and has launched a defamation lawsuit against the couple accusing him of antisemitism.^[20] Various rumours have also surfaced stating that he was set up. "From the very first day of Fashion Week, many editors have been saying that Dior wanted to get rid of him and that a plot like this would save it from having to pay him a reported £17 million", said Marcellous L. Jones, editor-in-chief of fashion web magazine TheFashionInsider.com.^[21] Dior announced it will continue to support the Galliano brand financially due to license despite his previous scandal involving alleged anti-semitic remarks.^[22]

Criminal charges[link]

It was reported on 2 March 2011 that Galliano was to face trial in Paris for allegedly "making racist comments to customers in a café".^[23] He had reportedly apologised "unreservedly" for his behavior, while Dior described the comments in the video as "odious". According to the Financial Times, "if found guilty, Galliano could face up to six months in prison and a fine of €22,500."^[24] (around US$31,000). The Daily Telegraph reported that it is believed Galliano has now left France and he was reported to be attending a rehabilitation facility, most likely The Meadows in Arizona."^[25] A Paris court ordered that he stand trial on charges of "public insults based on the origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity" against three people.^[26] The trial commenced on 22 June 2011.^[27][28]

On September 8, 2011, he was found guilty of making anti-Semitic remarks. John Galliano has been sentenced to pay a total of €6,000 (US$8,400) in suspended fines after a French court found him guilty of giving public insults on account of race.^[29]

Honours[link]

Galliano was awarded British Designer of the Year in 1987, 1994 and 1995. In 1997, he shared the award with Alexander McQueen, his successor at Givenchy.

He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours List^[30] for his services to the Fashion Industry as a Fashion Designer. He received his CBE on 27 November 2001 at Buckingham Palace in London, England.

He was awarded the RDI in 2002 for his contribution to the fashion industry.

He has appeared on The Independent on Sunday's 2007 "pink list" for being one of "the most influential gay people in Britain."^[31]

In 2009, Galliano received the French Legion of Honour, previously awarded to such fashion luminaries as Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Azzedine Alaïa and Suzy Menkes, to name a few.^[32]

Personal[link]

In interviews Galliano has given his full name as Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano-Guillén.^[3] Galliano shared his Paris home with his long-term boyfriend Alexis Roche, a style consultant. Galliano became a familiar figure on the streets of Le Marais, an area of Paris popular with gays and also the city’s Jewish community.

See also[link]

• John Galliano's Spring-Summer 2004 Haute Couture collection

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website of John Galliano S.A., a company that no longer employs Mr. Galliano
• John Galliano designer profile at Fashion Model Directory
• IQONS portrait of Galliano
• British Design Museum
• "Interactive timeline of couture houses and couturier biographies". Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/explore.php. 

The Christian Dior Home and Museum in Granville (Manche), France.

Christian Dior (French pronunciation: [kʁistjɑ̃ djɔːʁ]) (21 January 1905 – 23 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.

Early life[link]

Christian Dior was born in Granville, a seaside town on the coast of Normandy, France, the second of the five children of Maurice Dior, a wealthy fertilizer manufacturer (the family firm was Dior Frères), and his wife, the former Isabelle Cardamone. He had four siblings: Raymond (father of Françoise Dior), Jacqueline, Bernard, and Ginette (aka Catherine).^[1] When Christian was about five years old, the family moved to Paris, France, but still returned to the Normandy coast for summer vacations.

Dior's family had hopes he would become a diplomat, but Dior was artistic and wished to be involved in fashion. To make money, he sold his fashion sketches outside his house for about 10 cents each. In 1928, Dior left school and received money from his father to finance a small art gallery, where he and a friend sold art by the likes of Pablo Picasso. Three years later, after the death of Dior's mother and brother and a financial disaster in the family’s fertilizer business, during the Great Depression, that resulted in his father losing control of Dior Frères, the gallery had to be closed. From then until about 1940 he worked with fashion designer Robert Piguet, when he was called up for military service.

In 1942, when Dior left the Army, Dior joined the fashion house of Lucien Lelong, where he and Pierre Balmain were the primary designers. For the duration of World War II, Dior, as an employee of Lelong — who labored to preserve the French fashion industry during wartime for economic and artistic reasons — designed dresses for the wives of Nazi officers and French collaborators, as did other fashion houses that remained in business during the war, including Jean Patou, Jeanne Lanvin, and Nina Ricci.^[2][3] While Dior dressed Nazi wives, his sister Catherine (1917—2008) served as a member of the French Resistance, was captured by the Gestapo, and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she was incarcerated until she was liberated in May 1945.^[4]

The Dior fashion house[link]

On 16 December 1946 Dior founded his fashion house, backed by Marcel Boussac, a cotton-fabric magnate. The actual name of the line of his first collection, presented in early 1947, was Corolle (literally the botanical term corolla or circlet of flower petals in English), but the phrase New Look was coined for it by Carmel Snow, the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar. Dior's designs were more voluptuous than the boxy, fabric-conserving shapes of the recent World War II styles, influenced by the rations on fabric.^[5] He was a master at creating shapes and silhouettes; Dior is quoted as saying "I have designed flower women." His look employed fabrics lined predominantly with percale, boned, bustier-style bodices, hip padding, wasp-waisted corsets and petticoats that made his dresses flare out from the waist, giving his models a very curvaceous form.

Initially, women protested because his designs covered up their legs, which they had been unused to because of the previous limitations on fabric. There was also some backlash to Dior's designs due to the amount of fabrics used in a single dress or suit. During one photo shoot in a Paris market, the models were attacked by female vendors over this profligacy, but opposition ceased as the wartime shortages ended. The "New Look" (a name given it by American fashion-magazine editor Carmel Snow) revolutionized women's dress and reestablished Paris as the center of the fashion world after World War II.

Death[link]

Dior died while on holiday in Montecatini, Italy on 23 October 1957. Some reports say that he died of a heart attack after choking on a fish bone.^[6] Time's obituary stated that he died of a heart attack after playing a game of cards.^[7] However, the Paris socialite and Dior acquaintance Alexis von Rosenberg, Baron de Rédé, stated in his memoirs that contemporary rumor had it that the fashion designer succumbed to a heart attack after a strenuous sexual encounter. Some even think that he died because of a seizure. To this day, the exact circumstances remain undisclosed.

Dior was a bachelor.

Tributes[link]

The Paul Gallico novella Mrs 'Arris Goes to Paris (1958, UK title Flowers for Mrs Harris) tells the story of a London charwoman who falls in love with her employer's couture wardrobe and decides to go to Paris to purchase herself a Dior ballgown.

A perfume named Christian Dior is used in Haruki Murakami's novel The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle as an influential symbol placed at critical plot points throughout.

The English singer-songwriter Morrissey released a song titled "Christian Dior" as a b-side to his 2006 single "In the Future When All's Well".

American Rapper/Producer Kanye West released a song titled "Christian Dior Denim Flow" as a 2010 Fashion Week single.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Christian Dior official website
• Christian Dior designer profile at Fashion Model Directory
• A biography of Christian Dior
• Sewing patterns by Christian Dior
• "'Bar' Suit and Hat". Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/exhibHighBarSuit.php. Retrieved 11 November 2007. 
• "Zémire evening ensemble". Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/exhibHighZemire.php. Retrieved 13 November 2007. 
• Photos of Dior and Samples of New Look Fashion
• "Interactive timeline of couture houses and couturier biographies". Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/explore.php. 
• [1] Documentary film Christian Dior, The Man Behind The Myth
• Christian Dior at Chicago History Museum Digital Collections

Constance Jablonski (born Oct 29, 1990 in Lille,France) is a French model. In 2006, she entered the French Elite Model Look Contest. As of 2010, she became one of the newer faces of Estée Lauder alongside Liu Wen and Joan Smalls.^[1]

Early life[link]

Constance Jablonski was born and raised in Vimy, near Lille, France. Prior to becoming a model, she had wanted to be a tennis player and was a keen competitive player for nine years.^[2]

Career[link]

She got her start in the modelling industry in the French Elite Model Look Contest of 2006. Jablonski made her catwalk debut in September 2008 at the fashion weeks in New York, Milan and Paris. She has walked the runways of New York, Paris, Milan and London, both in the Ready-to-wear and Haute Couture seasons. Jablonski has walked for Shiatzy Chen, Donna Karan, Dior, Gucci, Burberry, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Balenciaga, Zac Posen, Sonia Rykiel and Elie Saab, among many others. For the spring 2010 season, she walked 72 shows and was the most booked model for that season.^[3] In November 2010, she walked in the Victoria's Secret fashion show for the first time.

She has appeared in advertising campaigns for brands such as Alberta Ferretti, Cesare Paciotti, D&G, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Hermes, Nine West, Max Mara, Barneys, Topshop, Tse, H&M, Bally, GAP, Moschino, United Colors of Benetton, Estee Lauder, and Y-3. In April 2010, it was announced that Jablonski and Chinese model Liu Wen would join the roster of faces of the cosmetics company Estée Lauder.^[4]

Jablonski has appeared on the covers of Russh, Chinese, German, Portuguese, Greek, Spanish and Russian Vogue, French Revue de Modes, Russian Harper's Bazaar, and Italian Amica. She has appeared in editorials for French, Japanese, German, Chinese, British, Russian, Italian, American, Teen, Greek, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese Vogue, Italian Marie Claire, Allure, Harper's Bazaar, Russh, Vanity Fair, American and Korean W, Interview, V, i-D, French and Japanese Numéro.^[5]

She is ranked 6th on the Top 50 Models Women List by models.com.^[6]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Constance Jablonski

• Constance Jablonski at the Fashion Model Directory
• Constance Jablonski's profile and portfoilo on Marilyn Agency's webpage
• Constance Jablonski on style.com
• Constance Jablonski profile on New York Magazine
• Constance Jablonski profile on Models.com

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2011)

Sigrid Agren (born April 24, 1991) is a French fashion model from Martinique, and rose to prominence during the Elite Model Look in 2006, at age 14.^[2]

Early life[link]

Sigrid was born on April 24, 1991, in Martinique, the Caribbean overseas department of France. Her mother is from Normandy and her father is Swedish. When she was 13, she entered the Elite Model Look France, and she went to the semifinals in Paris. She and two other contestants were chosen to move onto the finals in Shanghai.^[3] Sigrid Agren lost to one of the other French finalists, Charlotte Beillard (now known as Charlotte Di Calypso).^[4]

Career[link]

After the Elite Model Look ended, Sigrid signed with Elite Model Management in Paris. She was doing small jobs until her decision to put off modeling to finish her school in 2007 (she passed her scientific degree with honnor).^[2]

She came back to the modeling world in 2008, signing with New York Model Management, and re-signed with Elite Models in all the major fashion capitals.^[1] She debuted on the runway by closing the Prada Resort show.^[2][3] She then walked for her first New York Fashion Week, walking for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, and Rodarte.^[2] She also opened for Shiatzy Chen, Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, and Alexander McQueen, and closed for Prada, CoSTUME NATIONAL, and Louis Vuitton.^[2]

For the Spring/Summer 2009 season, she became the face of Prada, with Giedre Dukauskaite and Anna Jagodzinska, and also became the face of Armani Jeans and Nicole Farhi.^[5]

Sigrid has appeared many editorials for magazines like Vogue Paris, Harper's Bazaar, and Numéro.^[2][5] She appeared on one of the three cover magazine of i-D's June/July issue, alongside Tasha Tilberg and Raquel Zimmermann.^[5]

For the Fall/Winter 2009 season, Sigrid appeared in 68 international fashion shows, for designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, and Christian Dior.^[1] Sigrid was featured first in the shows of Valentino,^[6] Alberta Ferretti, Karl Lagerfeld, Pucci, Diane von Furstenberg, CoSTUME NATIONAL, Marni, Ruffian, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Antonio Berardi, Max Azria, and opened and closed for Chloé.^[6] For the Fall/Winter 2009 season, Sigrid featured as the face of Stella McCartney, replacing Kate Moss, as well as Chloé, alongside Kasia Struss and Karlie Kloss, Ck Calvin Klein, alongside Jourdan Dunn, and Bottega Veneta, alongside Anna Jagodzinska.^[5]

She is currently ranked No. 9 on the Top 50 models-Women list.^[5]

Sigrid appeared^[when?] in a Vogue Paris editorial, alongside fellow French models Charlotte Di Calypso, Jennifer Messelier, Mélodie Dagault, Constance Jablonski, and Mathilde Frachon, declaring France the new producer of models.

Sigrid skipped the Spring/Summer 2010 fashion weeks to study for her baccalauréat exam.

For the Spring/Summer 2010 season, she was featured in the campaigns of Faconnable, Yves Saint Laurent cosmetics, and Chanel's fragrance "Chance".

Sigrid returned to the runway the following season, walking 70 shows and opening six of them, including Matthew Williamson and Bottega Veneta, and for the Spring/Summer 2011 season she was the model who walked the most shows, reaching the number of 65.^{[citation needed]}

In march 2012 she was on the front page of the ELLE magazine.

Personal life[link]

Agren has made friends with Jennifer Messelier, Taryn Davidson, and Toni Garrn,^[2] and has an interest in ballet.^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sigrid Agren at the Fashion Model Directory

Anna Selezneva is a Russian fashion model.

Early life[link]

Selezneva was born July 29, 1990^[2] in Moscow to a Russian father and an Armenian mother. She was discovered in 2007 at a McDonald's. Later that year she began her international modeling career after signing with Silent Models in Paris.^[3]

Career[link]

At the spring 2008 Prêt-a-Porter shows in Paris, Selezneva debuted on the runways of Dries van Noten, Céline, and Akris.

Selezneva has been featured on the cover of seven international editions of Vogue: Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, Vogue China, Vogue Japan, Vogue Russia (twice), Vogue Australia, and Vogue Espana. She has also appeared in editorials in Vogue, Vogue UK, Numero, V, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, i-D, and Self Service. Photographers she has worked with include Mario Testino, Steven Meisel, and Peter Lindbergh.^[1][4]

Selezneva has appeared in advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein Collection, Yves Saint Laurent's Elle Shocking fragrance, Versace, Guerlain Aqua, Ralph Lauren, Emporio Armani, and Juicy Couture.^[1][4][5] Her catwalk resume includes Shiatzy Chen, Balmain, Chanel, Dior, Lanvin, Dries van Noten, Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Vogue Paris declared Selezneva one of the top 30 models of the 2000s.^[6] Models.com currently ranks her as the #19 top model in the world.^[7]

Personal life[link]

Selezneva counts models Inna Pilipenko, Claudia Seiler, and Gantz Gilles as close friends.^[4] She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and plans to further her studies when her modeling career slows down.^[3]

References[link]