John Galliano Has a New Job

Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP

Does John Galliano deserve a second chance? The designer, who came under fire three years ago after an antisemitic rant, has been announced as the new creative director of Maison Martin Margiela, the quirky Belgian fashion house.

"Margiela is ready for a new charismatic creative soul," said Renzo Rosso, president of OTB group, which controls the Maison Martin Margiela brand. "John Galliano is one of the greatest, undisputed talents of all time -- a unique, exceptional couturier for a maison that always challenged and innovated the world of fashion. I look forward to his return to create that fashion dream that only he can create, and wish him to here find his new home."

Galliano, 53, was promptly fired from Christian Dior when a video showing him making racist comments to two strangers surfaced. He took a hiatus from fashion, and later revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair that he had completely lost touch with reality at the time.

At Margiela, Galliano will oversee the design of all Margiela lines, including couture, women's, and men's ready-to-wear collections. He is expected to show his first designs for the house in January during Paris Couture Week, reports Women's Wear Daily.