John Galliano fights back

In case you're wondering about John Galliano's state of mind these last 36 hours, wonder no more.

After Christian Dior suspended the designer for allegedly making racist and anti-Semitic remarks at a Parisian bar on Thursday, Galliano has come back swinging, denying the allegations and filing a claim of defamation against the couple who made the allegations. His lawyer told WWD that the designer provided police with statements from three witnesses denying that he made any such comments.

Galliano was hired at Dior 15 years ago, and the suspension has occurred just before the start of Paris Fashion Week. What will the controversy mean for the upcoming Dior show March 4? It's unclear if Galliano will be able to take his traditional bow, but we'll remind you that last October, when Galliano showed his spring-summer 2011 collection, our Booth Moore pronounced it a "knockout."  

-- Alice Short

Photo: John Galliano. Credit: Benoit Tessier/Reuters