The wounds are still fresh and Galliano’s financial involvement with LVMH is complex to say the least, but business must continue and a successor found.

So who could possibly replace John Galliano at the helm of Dior?  Will the new designer take the maison in a completely new direction or look to the archives the restore a sense of stability?  Take a look at the closest contenders…

Mutterings in fashion circles suggest that Italian designer Riccardo Tisci will make the move from fellow LVMH brand Givenchy.  During his five years with Givenchy, Tisci has transformed it into a youthful, desirable brand with his dark, rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic.

The move would mirror Galliano’s own sidestep from Givenchy to Dior and although Tisci has made Givenchy his own, the cachet of Dior may prove an alluring option.

Alber Elbaz has also been named as a potential replacement and with his amiable nature and reverence to Lanvin’s heritage, he would be a desirable choice.  But would Elbaz want or need to leave Lanvin while at the height of his career?

Olivier Theyskens charmed critics with his demi-couture at Rochas and developed a more wearable aesthetic at Nina Ricci.  Fashion editors have been going mad for his sleek tailoring at Theory, but it’s possible that he’d jack in bon chic for a more creative role in the blink of an eye.

However, Theyskens’ anti-capitalist philosophy may constantly be at odds with Dior’s courting of a more trashing monogram-mad market, which defines most of the brand’s sales.  He’s turned the job down twice already, but the current crisis could mean a more attractive offer from Dior.

Ironically, Anna Wintour recently claimed that the Rodarte sisters had the ‘Imagination and originality to be in the same spirit as a John [Galliano] or an Alexander.’  Now it could be time to put La Wintour’s prophecy to the test.

Kate and Laura Mulleavy have the gothic, theatrical sensibilities to continue Dior’s otherworldly aesthetic, but it’s questionable whether they would fit the corporate LVMH mould.

Other potential candidates are said to be from the LVMH stable – Phoebe Philo of Céline and the group’s golden boy Marc Jacobs.

Phoebe Philo’s minimalist-luxe vision for Céline is worlds apart from the playful decadence of Dior and would Marc Jacobs really leave Louis Vuitton, which seems to run perfectly in tandem with his eponymous label?

Who do you think will succeed John Galliano at Dior?  Will Dior play it safe or take a chance on a younger designer?

Harvey Nichols Summer Sale starts tomorrow at 10am across its seven UK stores and it promises discounts of up to 50% on designer womenswear, menswear and accessories.

There are some major bargains on some of this season’s most coveted looks and pieces and some of the highlights are reductions on the Proenza Schouler neon-print dress, Christopher Kane’s feminine gingham dress and a classic sleeveless trench from Celine’s incredibly successful SS10 catwalk collection.

Other Womenswear up to 50% sale discount: 3.1 by Phillip Lim, Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Brian Reyes, Cacharel, Chloe, Derek Lam, Givenchy, Martin Grant, Matthew Williamson, Missoni, Nina Ricci, Stella McCartney, The Row, Twenty8Twelve, Zac Posen.

The accessories sales is also very strong and my favourite bargains from the collection would have to be the fuschia YSL cosmetics case, Lanvin printed silk T-bar sandals and the Marc by Marc skinny script bracelet.

Other Accessories up to 50% sale discount: D&G, Missoni, Pucci, Angie Gooderham, Erickson Beamon, Juicy Couture, Lara Bohinc and Matthew Williamson.

Menswear up to 50% sale discount: Belstaff, Billionaire Boys Club, Diesel Black Gold, Dries Van Noten, Galliano Homme, Jil Sander, John Smedley, Moncler, Paul Smith, To-0rist, Y-3.

Plus, get an extra 10% off reduced items when you pay using your Harvey Nichols card for the first four days of the sale!

Throughout the sale, there will be samples from Christopher Kane, Raf Simons, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Margiela, Lanvin Mens, Sacai, Undercover and many more.  As the deliveries arrive, Dover Street Market will be adding new items to the sale over the three days, so there’s no pressure to get up and queue at 5am on your day off.

Also present will be selected food stallholders from London’s weekend markets providing coffees, juices, bacon sandwiches, pastries, cupcakes, salads and ice creams for some much needed energy and shopping clarity.  I’ve already spotted that cupcake company, Crumbs & Doilies will be there serving up mountains of mini cupcakes and if you were sent a voucher by email, you can grab a dozen box of mini cupcakes for just £7.

Dover Street Market in Mayfair is like a fashion wonderland in which I could quite easily spend the afternoon away (especially over tea and cake at Rose Bakery), and is an exemplary of what the perfect concept store should be.  The samples sales are legendary and are guaranteed to be busy, but it’s well worth a look.

Finally, some wise words on the act of shopping from Fashion East’s Lulu Kennedy – don’t bother carrying a handbag, just bring your credit card and a compact mirror in your back pocket – so simple yet genius.

Dates:

Saturday 1 May – Monday 3 May
10.00am to 7.00pm

Location:

The Old Depot
1-3 Wenlock Road
London N1 7SL

Nearest Tube Stations: Angel and Old Street.

As Tavi smartly pointed out, she is about half the size of the average fashion ed/celeb and the offending bow was shot with holes. Would any editor dare to strip Diane Pernet of her signature raised veil? Non, pas du tout!  So really, the crux of the matter is that the teen fashion prodigy has fast-tracked her way to the privileges that editors have spent years trying to cultivating and maintain and surprisingly enough, they don’t like it!

Couture is an industry clawing on by its teeth, so it’s no surprise that designers are consciously trying to appeal to a younger market – hence Tavi at Dior, Lady Gaga sporting Armani Privé and Valentino’s woodland neon nymphs.

The direction of the house of Valentino has been somewhat vague since the departure of Valentino Garavani.  His second set of predecessors and former Valentino accessories designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli began their assault on a new look brand with their romantic, sculptural A/W 09 collection, but this season they’ve gone wild and thrown the rulebook to the wind.

Valentino’s elegant woman has put her prim little suit in storage and turned into a to a cyber partygirl with a new best mate, Alice Dellal.  Blush and nude shades are carried over from the Autumn/Winter ready-to-wear collection, but this time they’re set off with flashes of fluorescent pink and yellow and silver (with more than a nod to Pam Hogg’s panelled catsuits).

Underneath the neon and sparkle, there are whispers of classic Valentino, with beautiful draping, volume and embellishment, but the pair really stick the knife in with their interpretation of  the iconic ‘Valentino red dress’.  There are three red dresses in the collection, the most outrageous being a red leather mini dress with waves of leather ruffles.

The sheer visors and ‘exotic bird’ make-up seem to reference Avatar and the models certainly have an eco-warrior vibe.  This unashamed attempt to appeal to a younger, ‘new money’ crowd hasn’t gone unnoticed, and their new rock ‘n’ roll image has sent shockwaves through Valentino’s clique.

Valentino’s partner Giancarlo Giammetti labelled the collection a ‘ridiculous circus’ and told WWD that both he and Valentino “are always supportive of the designers of Valentino, even if we don’t approve of their effort to be cool at all costs.”

A polar opposite collection was John Galliano’s historical, equestrian collection that looked back to the work of Belle Epoque designer Charles Lamb, who was also the inspiration for Christian Dior’s New Look collection in 1947.

Galliano cracked the whip, as models were sent down the catwalk in Edwardian riding jackets with nipped-in waists and peplums, checked skirts with bustles and top hats with veils.  Next up was cocktail hour with the most beautiful jewel coloured, gathered chiffon skirts, embellished jackets, halter-neck bustier shirts and draped dresses in Duchesse satin.

For evening wear, it was all about the most incredible ball gowns and Galliano found inspiration with ‘The Gibson Girls’, the illustrated feminine ideals at the turn of the century.  There were delicately structured satin bodices with voluminous, sculptural skirts in exquisite fabrics and a colour palette including dusky pink, raspberry, petrol, mauve and ice blue.

You can tell that Galliano lives for creating couture and the colours, craftsmanship and historical references make his shows the most anticipated of all.  Suzy Menkes acknowledged the beauty and emotion of the collection, but suggested that “it would be a fine thing if Mr. Galliano could just once make the starting point of Dior couture not fashion’s sweet memories but a clean sheet of paper on which he writes 2010.”

It’s interesting that designers who have been at the helm of Valentino for just over two seasons should cut away from the house’s heritage so significantly, while Galliano, who has made Dior his own since his arrival in 1996, still references Christian Dior’s most prominent collections like an old friend.

With rejuvenated houses such as Balmain, Givenchy and Balenciaga excelling commercially but losing part of their original identity (plus the closure of Christian Lacroix), I would personally drape myself in raspberry tulle in support of Galliano’s nostalgia over a label who is in the painful midst of a personality crisis.

Mark and his actress/model/singer girlfriend Josephine de la Baume are the new couple featuring in Zadig & Voltaire’s Spring campaign, taking over from last season’s lovers Sean Lennon and the impossibly gorgeous Charlotte Kemp Muhl.  Fittingly, Mark and Josephine met at a club in Paris and even ‘got married’ last year for a Jalouse cover shoot, in an ethereal ceremony with only their closest and dearest hipster friends (at least I think they knew all of the guests).

The well-dressed couple were shot on Paris’ Left Bank in Saint-Germain by art curator and Purple founder, Olivier Zahm.  True to form, Zahm has captured those amazing, spontaneous moments that tell a story and let you into their private world.

Despite Josephine’s lineage (her parents are the Baron and Baronne de la Baume) and transatlantic lifestyle, she’s a proper ‘downtown girl’ with a wardrobe full of Alexander Wang, Rick Owens, Opening Ceremony, Number 6 and presumably now Zadig & Voltaire. Shunning the BCBG look, she invests in more creative, avant-garde designers include Rodarte, Gareth Pugh and Ricardo Tisci for Givenchy.

I’m not such a fan of Z&G’s clothes, as they can be a bit flashy with all the diamante skulls, but where they really get me is on the accessories!  Every collection taunts me with ‘the bag of my dreams’, with an equally whimsical price tag and then there’s the boots, the belts, the smokey wood candles…*sigh*.

The only person to come close to the Zadig lifestyle that I know is Steven, who is the proud owner of a silver Z&G watch with black skull face that I bought him for his birthday in Paris a few years ago.

With my other favourite French brand The Kooples already using ‘cool couples in love’ in their ad campaigns, I’m more convinced than ever that there’s just something so magical and magnetic about Paris.  Call it clever advertising or capitalising on the city’s romantic image, but take a walk along the Seine or the Canal St-Martin and tell me you don’t feel it too…I bet Mark and Josephine do!