The house that John Galliano built is now that of Bill Gaytten.
Never heard of him?
Neither had most of the fashion editors, journalists, stylists and buyers at Friday’s spring-summer 2012 menswear display at John Galliano, in Paris.
The house of Galliano, which is owned by Dior parent company LVMH, had not announced a replacement for the wildly inventive British designer, and so when Gaytten — a fellow Briton who was long a close Galliano collaborator — shyly took to the catwalk for a post-show bow.
Label officials said Gaytten had officially taken the mantle of creative director for the brand as he set foot on the runway Friday.
"Things change, things move on, that’s life," Gaytten summed it up after the show, which capped day three of a Paris menswear week overshadowed by the ongoing Galliano saga.
Christian Dior CEO Sidney Toledano said Gaytten "has been leading the design team" at Galliano and oversaw the men’s collection from conception to catwalk. He took the final bow after the label’s menswear show on Friday. Gaytten’s official title has not yet been announced.
The British-born designer studied architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College in London, before landing his first job with Victor Edelstein. He went on to work with Galliano at both his eponymous label and at Dior. The 51-year-old designer worked with Galliano for 23 years.
