At Galliano, designer's right-hand man takes over

Newly appointed fashion designer Bill Gaytten for John Galliano's John Galliano's sacking from Christian Dior went viral in a matter of minutes, and his subsequent firing from his eponymous fashion line was also splashed all over the front page of newspapers worldwide, but the much-anticipated announcement of his replacement at the house of Galliano went down without a drop of ink being spilled.
Galliano's longtime right-hand man, Bill Gaytten, stepped into his former boss' shoes - and the title of creative director of the John Galliano label - the moment he took to the stage for a bow at the end of Friday's spring-summer 2012 show.
As the slight, graying Gaytten emerged onto the catwalk, the audience of fashion insiders shot one another confused glances and mouthed the words "who's that?"
Despite having worked for Galliano for 25 years, Gaytten always remained a behind-the-scenes man, and his face was familiar to few in the audience. "It was a funny moment for me. It was the first time - normally it was John - so it was a bit scary," British-born Gaytten told reporters in a backstage interview under the close supervision of the label's press handlers.
Questions on the touchy subject of Galliano were off-limits, as were those related to the future of the label, which is owned by Dior parent company LVMH.
The luxury giant has tried to erase the designer - who spent 15 years as Dior creative director - from the pages of Dior's storied history since allegations emerged in March that he hurled anti-Semitic insults at a couple in a Paris bar brawl.
After a video of a separate incident that shows a visibly inebriated Galliano praising Hitler was posted on the internet, Dior fired him, and LVMH swiftly followed suit, sacking Galliano from the label that bears his own name.
His replacement at Dior still has not been announced. At the house of Galliano, the strategy has clearly been to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Friday's show had all the telltale marks of a classic Galliano display, from the way the seating was arranged down to the language of the collection notes to the way the models clomped angrily down the runway.
Like shows under Galliano himself, the display was divided into four sections - streetwear, business attire, intimates and eveningwear - all linked together by an overarching narrative.
Swinging '60s London was the theme of Friday's collection, with models in the first section sporting military jackets with drop-crotched silk pants and leather caps. Though the clothes and the styling evoked Galliano, they felt like a meek and timid version of the designer - pared down and de-clawed.
Despite the stomping models, the earsplitting soundtrack and the set made from wildly blinking lights, the show lacked the energy of a Galliano display of old.
Somehow, though the ingredients were the same, something just didn't coalesce, and the whole thing fell a bit flat. But don't say that to Dior CEO Sidney Toledano.
After working the front row ahead of the show and glad-handing all the industry heavyweights, Toledano headed backstage to pat Gaytten on the back and pose for smiling photos with him. "I want one of those suits," Toledano told the designer in a booming voice, as journalists listened in. He didn't make any allusion to Galliano.
But as much as label executives would like to forget the past and focus on the future, they've been unable to erase the disgraced designer entirely. By pure coincidence, Galliano's Paris trial coincided with the first day of the city's menswear displays on Wednesday, which meant that many fashion insiders ended up spending the day in the courthouse instead of the shows.
In moving testimony before the court, Galliano said the ever-mounting pressure at Dior and his own label had pushed him to seek comfort in alcohol and prescription drugs.
He apologised for whatever he may have said or done while under the influence and added he's sought treatment and is clean today.