Donna Karan Goes to Bat for Galliano
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Just when you thought you were safe from John Galliano news, New York magazine has found an apologist for the anti-Semitism-spewing designer.
Jewish fashionista Donna Karan has gone to bat for the disgraced Galliano, who faces prison time in France for public rants about his “love” for Hitler and other hate speech. Presumably in reference to his firing by the Christian Dior fashion house, Karan told the magazine that Galliano’s remarks were “blown up out of proportion.”
“He’s a wonderful designer, a brilliant designer, and he probably needs help and support right now,” she said, explaining why his comments should be overlooked. “To be a designer’s a very taskful situation, and sometimes it can push a few limits.”
Karan’s comments put her at odds with Natalie Portman, who condemned the designer immediately after his comments came to light. But she has at least one ally in her views – “Sex and the City” costumer Patricia Field, who also came to his defense after his firing.
Nor is she his only Jewish defender – Galliano’s lawyer, as the Shmooze noted in March, is also a Jew.
It’s our birthday and we’re still celebrating!
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news.
This week we celebrate 129 years of the Forward. We’re proud of our origins as a Yiddish print publication serving Jewish immigrants. And we’re just as proud of what we’ve become today: A trusted source of Jewish news and opinion, available digitally to anyone in the world without paywalls or subscriptions.
We’ve helped five generations of American Jews make sense of the news and the world around them — and we aren’t slowing down any time soon.
As a nonprofit newsroom, reader donations make it possible for us to do this work. Support independent, agenda-free Jewish journalism and our board will match your gift in honor of our birthday!
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
