Christian Dior seems unaffected by the untimely exit of anti-Semitic creative director John Galliano. The company has posted a 21% increase in earnings for the year to date.
Perhaps the results prove the old adage that no publicity is really bad publicity. Dior has enjoyed plenty of time in the headlines this year, from Galliano’s very public fall from grace to rumors about his successor and the brand’s fate. There was even widespread condemnation of Bill Gaytten’s collections. But it seems luxury lovers are still buying.
However Vanessa Friedman of The Financial Times suggests that perhaps this is about more than media. While we’re devouring every tasty tidbit of the saga, its biggest fans may not be following things so closely, or perhaps they just don’t care. “They knew Dior, and it was enough,” she wrote.
If his exit has taught us anything, Christian Dior is much more than John Galliano. We’ve heard so many examples of high-end businesses thriving following the global recession, from British brand Burberry to Italian fashion house Prada. Perhaps Dior’s recent successes have less to do with its current inner turmoil and more to do with current trends.
What do you think is the key to Dior’s strong profits?
[Image Source: Stephen Carlile/Flickr]
