DIOR: who's next?

Who will be Dior’s next designer? That’s the question some of the world’s most influential fashion players are asking in the wake of the renowned French label’s fall 2011 runway show, where disgraced designer John Galliano was notably absent.

Galliano, who was fired this week for anti-semitic comments, held what is considered a plum gig in the fashion industry. Christian Dior is a billion-dollar global brand that turned Galliano into a power player when he joined the house 15 years ago. WWD, the fashion world’s trade newspaper, reported Friday that London bookies are placing bets on who might be Galliano’s successor. Here we dissect some of the names being thrown into the ring as possible contenders:

Haider Ackermann

The Colombian-born designer is a budding star in Paris. His clothes are edgy and modern yet poetically romantic. Last year, he brought his collection — which is sold at 119 Corbo in Yorkville — to Toronto for a fashion show at the ROM. But as accolades pour in for this charming gentleman’s work, it’s unclear whether he’s ready for the big leagues. Some insiders speculate he might not be ready to divide his attention between his carefully nurtured label and a behemoth like Dior.

Riccardo Tisci

He is the current darling of Paris and the favourite to land the gig. Givenchy, where he currently works, is owned by LVMH, the luxury conglomerate that also owns Dior. If executives move him over he will be following a similar career path to Galliano’s. But unlike Galliano, Tisci is seen as non-controversial yet able to turn out red-hot and coveted collections. The other factor in his favour: he also works in couture. Not all designers are trained in the rarefied world of incredibly labour-intensive one-of-a-kind outfits. And Dior is one of the few houses in Paris still producing couture collections.

Alber Elbaz

Elbaz has done wonders for the house of Lanvin, successfully rejuvenating this historic French label. And the masses love his work: his recent collaboration with H&M was a blockbuster. Think of what he would be able to do with money-making fragrances and accessories at Dior.

Marc Jacobs

A design demigod, Jacobs generates an incredible amount of press for his Marc Jacobs line in New York and Louis Vuitton in Paris. The latter is also owned by the company that owns Dior, so he’s already part of the stable. Would the powers that be consider moving one of their prized talents over to Dior? Could be tricky, since it would create another headache for them to fill his rather big shoes at LV. But installing such a big name at Dior might just wipe the slate clean and eradicate Galliano from memory.