John Galliano: Can He Be Fired from His Own Line?
John Galliano has already been fired from the house of Christian Dior for his alleged anti-Semitic remarks and behavior, but what of his eponymous line, which is controlled by Christian Dior and parent company LVMH?
“A lot would depend on what his relationship is with his own line,” says Betsy Pearce, founder of the law firm Pearce LLC, which specializes in brokering deals between designers and fashion houses. (Pearce is not associated in any way with John Galliano.)
“There’s a thing called a morals clause: If someone does something horrible, they can be fired as an employee, but it doesn’t take away his equity in the company,” Pearce tells FashionEtc. “In this case, assuming he’s part owner of his own company, he plays three roles: employee, shareholder, and the brand’s trademark.”
“My guess is that he can be terminated, assuming there are no contractual provisions,” she says, adding that Galliano can’t be terminated as a shareholder. As for his name? “He probably has committed his name to the company indefinitely. It belongs to the company.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised [if he’s terminated from John Galliano], but it’s a tough question,” Pearce says. “Perhaps Dior won’t feel as staunch for Galliano as it did for the Dior brand itself—it’s hard to know if the same response is appropriate for his own company.”
A spokesperson for the John Galliano line had no comment and would not say whether the Galliano show would be presented on March 6 as scheduled.
As far as who might step in for Galliano—both at the House of Dior and his own line, assuming he is terminated there as well—let the speculation begin.
“Every company has a contingency plan,” says Pearce. “These things do happen.”
