John Galliano Scandal: Fashion Week Dress at Center of Jewish Controversy, See Photo
John Galliano is at the center of controversy for reportedly dressing like a Chasidic Jew during New York Fashion Week, according to New York Post.
Galliano, the former fashion head of Christian Dior who was fired in 2011 after making anti-Semitic slurs in Paris, wore a long black coat, a black top hat and high socks to the Oscar de la Renta fashion show on Tuesday. He also wore his hair down to form side locks. The outfit and hairstyle is similar to those worn by the religious sec of Jews.
The photograph of Galliano ran underneath the headline "Shmuck!"
Galliano's outfit choice was offensive to some Jewish figures and Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind told the Post that he thought Galliano was trying to mock the Jewish community.
"Who is he mocking? The way the socks look, the jacket, the peyos ... My question is, who's he laughing at?" Hikind asked. "Considering who this guy is, considering his background and what he's said in the past, let him explain it to all of us: Are you mocking us?"
However, the Anti-Defamation League came to Galliano's defense. The organization recently said that Galliano had rehabilitated himself following his anti-Semitic comments in 2011 - he said "I love Hitler" in a Paris cafe - and noted that his Tuesday outfit was "John Galliano being John Galliano."
"His dress is always eccentric and his hair is always worn long. This is, at the very least, ignorance on the part of the reporters and editors at the Post, or, at worst, a deliberate, malicious distortion in an effort to sell newspapers," ADL National Director Abraham Foxman said in a statement Wednesday.
New York Fashion Week ends Feb. 14. For a schedule of upcoming shows and to see photos of celebrities making an appearance to support their favorite designers, click here.
