Before I go in on John Galliano's Mel Gibson moment, I have a little story to share that sums up fashion's diversity issues and how JG's views fit into all of this...In March of 2008 I was in New York interviewing for internships and apartment hunting, I knew I had to be in NYC to eat, breathe, and sleep fashion so I was making it happen. I grab a cab from my hotel that was a few blocks away from the World Trade Center crash site and headed uptown for my 10:30 interview at the showroom of a well known celebrity jewelry whose name I will not reveal. I got there with time to spare and rode in the oldest elevator to the showroom where an assistant brought me into their office-which was being renovated at the time. I was interviewed by a top level assistant in a small room full of people who weren't interviewing me but felt the need to throw in their two cents every few seconds like saying that I must not have gone to a good school because the English girl interviewing me hadn't heard of it-not like this chick went to Harvard. After being shot at by the firing squad the designer's sister walked in to my interview and began to chat with me. She asked me about the brand and how the position fit into my career goals and then, out of nowhere, informed me that "...this is a Jewish office, do you have a problem with that?" Since I'm obviously not Jewish, I responded no-I was raised a Catholic and last time I checked Jesus was a Jew so I'm cool with them as a people, as individuals I judge them on an individual basis like any other group of folks. Shortly after being asked if I was down with the Jews, my interview was wrapped up and I was released back onto the streets of Manhattan. I could have easily said that this particular jewelry designer did not like people who weren't Jewish and therefore would not hire me based on that one fact, however I thought "Ahh fashion, if you aren't a part of the right group you have to fight like hell to get in."
This brings me back to John Galliano. The fashion industry is notoriously youth, beauty and money obsessed, much more than a group of 16 year old queen b school girls. No matter how much the public whines and moans about more racial and physical diversity, they aren't going to listen because their constituents are the "haves" not the "have nots." With an industry geared toward an elitist appreciation for all things elite, why does it shock you that a one of their golden gods harbors such views? It should upset you but not shock you. Kinda like it wouldn't shock me if I found out that Karl Lagerfeld is a racist-he's like 100 you know-it would really piss me off but not shock me one bit. When your currency is how exclusive your products are and the more exclusive the more highly valued, having anti-semitic, misogynistic, racist views doesn't come as a surprise. I would be shocked however if someone in fashion was homophobic since 95% of male designers are gay, but then again I wouldn't be shocked to know that a few female editors n such called them F-words behind their backs.
You see anytime you have a culture based upon who is better, whether its because of their skin color, religion or that they're wearing last season's Prada boots, you create a climate that breeds prejudices. Maybe its because I'm a minority that I feel this way about these things, you know a large portion of people hate me for something I can't control, or maybe its because I'm realistic. In the word of Kanye West "racism still alive they just be concealing it." Or elitism rather.
