Designer John Galliano leaves Maison Margiela brand after 10 years

MILAN: Fashion brand Maison Margiela has parted ways with its artistic director John Galliano after ten years, its parent company OTB said on Wednesday, without giving any reason for the decision.

OTB founder Renzo Rosso hired the ex-Christian Dior designer in 2014 after he was sacked in 2011 by Dior owner LVMH over a video showing him making anti-Semitic comments in a Paris bar.

Rosso, whose OTB - which stands for Only the Brave - also owns the Diesel, Marni and Jil Sander labels, said Galliano had “laid the foundations for the future of Maison Margiela”, adding that he was confident there would be opportunities for further collaboration.

After his firing from Dior, Galliano acknowledged having undergone treatment for drugs and alcohol and he briefly worked as a designer for New York fashion house Oscar de la Renta in 2013.

“For now, I want to express my immense gratitude. I continue to atone, and I will never stop dreaming,” Galliano said in a statement.

“Gratitude to Renzo Rosso, who (…) gave me the greatest, most precious gift, allowing me the opportunity to once again find my creative voice when I had become voiceless”, he said.