Sunday 1 May 2011

Ethical fashion dilemma!

So, picture the scene. You're in a charity shop on the outskirts of Croydon, not famed for its fashionable or wealthy citizens (Kate Moss doesn't count - she moved out years ago). You're flicking absently through the racks of clothes - Primark, BHS, New Look, Primark again, F&F at Tesco, River Island, Galliano... Hang on a minute! Galliano?



You wonder if it's real - maybe it's some dodgy knock-off? In addition to the rubberized label at the neck, there's a hologram embedded into a label at the seam, always a good sign. There's also a metal tab saying Galliano near the hem, and the front ties are finished with signed metal beads. The dress itself is a sheer fine knit, with a slip to wear underneath, also with label. You look at the price tag - £6.00! That's less than the Oasis dress next to it! You pay and skip to the door.



Galliano! Dior! The flamboyance! The theatre! The anti-semitic ranting...oh. Bugger. Thanks a lot John. Best bargain I've had in ages and I'm really not going to feel comfortable wearing it. Ok, so it's not covered in lacy swastikas and I wouldn't be accessorizing with a Hitler moustache whilst goosestepping down the street, but that's not the point. Whilst it seems John Galliano may have been having some kind of drunken break-down (he has Jewish ancestors himself, and is after all gay - never the favourites of the nazis) it didn't excuse Mel Gibson and it doesn't excuse him. It's just a shame that all I have to do to boycott Mel Gibson is not watch any more of his execrable films.


As worn by Mad Max


Second hand shopping is supposed to be ethical, green, an alternative to adding to the waste textile mountain and rivers of pesticides used to produce clothing. I tend not to buy from certain high street retailers who are known to be lax on issues such as child labour and fair pay. A designer find in a charity shop is generally the holy grail - a reward! Next time - if the charity shop gods are listening - I'd like Westwood or Marc Jacobs instead please.

So, what would you do? Does Ebay beckon? Will anyone buy it? As it's second hand it's not like I'm lining Galliano's pockets by selling it. Or do we wait and see what happens at his trial - he's apparently suing for the couple he insulted for defamation - can't imagine how that's going to play out, but could I have judged too soon?

Your comments, as ever, are much appreciated.
Lakota x

Edit Interesting comments so far, mostly the feeling seems to be that it's ok to wear, as it makes him no money directly. However, consider the problem with vintage fur. Yes the animal is long dead, but by wearing it, you're normalising it and it can become aspirational. That is, a friend admires it, can't be bothered to find a vintage coat which doesn't stink of mothballs, and buys new, perpetuating the modern process. I should perhaps also mention that half my family are Jewish... I probably wouldn't have a problem with Dior from his era at the label, I think the crux of it is that I don't want to wear his name. It's not aspirational to me anymore. Does that make sense?

42 comments:

  1. I think it's lovely and I wouldn't worry about the ethcial bit as you're not actually putting money in his pocket, are you? It's a bit like buying a vintage fur coat- animal was long dead x

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  2. Hello:
    An interesting dilemma!

    Perhaps there is some deeply hidden moral in all of this which, just at present, escapes us. Possibly none of us should be lured by a 'designer' label which, as far as dress [not the dress] goes, is not far short of reading 'Hello' magazine.

    But then, he who casts the first stone....! All very difficult. Enjoy the Bank Holiday - the shops should be shut!

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  3. Sell it, you don't feel comfortable wearing it (and good for you!) but someone else won't have a problem with it. That sounds awful but you didn't buy this direct. I have changed my mind about vintage fur as I feel we are perpuating a problem. But its such an obvious fashion, this is not.

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  4. point is ... would you wear it if didn't have the 'G' word on it? do you like it? if the answers are yes, yes... it's a keeper! I personally like it a lot!
    if you need to do a background check everytime you want to wear a piece of clothing... you would be naked!!! :)

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  5. The beauty of charity shopping is that it absolves you of any sins regarding the origin of the clothes. I mean, we wouldn't DARE buy new Primark/supermarket clothes would we? Console yourself with the fact it was probably bought pre-rant, and lining Philip Green's pocket, Myleene Klass, Kate Moss, Daisy Lowe, Fern Bloody Cotton or anyone elses is a pretty grim way to shop. You have made a charity £6 richer, that is all. If you like the dress, rip the labels off and burn them out the back garden, saying a silent prayer for Mr Galliano, who is obviously under the same kind of pressure Alexander Mc Queen was under pre-suicide.

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  6. p.s the dress would look great with heavy eyeliner, black accessories/nails and studded sandals (in my opinion).

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  7. Keep it! TBH Galliano probably had nothing to do with the dress (a friend of mine worked for him and did a lot of the work).

    And as you say, none of the money will go to him! Take it as it is - a fine piece of fashion that you got at a bargain price! x

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  8. Ooh interesting! Presumably it has been recently donated by an ex-Galliano fan but I don't think you should worry about the provenance too much. It's a piece of clothing that you like, is a complete bargain and has helped to raise money for a worthy cause. Enjoy!

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  9. How very interesting a true dilema! I think i would keep.It isn't going to his pocket and it's not like something from gap - where you have basically paid to wear something that advertises their shop, i hate that! why not keep and give a couple of quid to a suitable charity?
    xxx

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  10. Amazing find! Shame about the moral dilemma, its worth hanging onto as one of your prize finds, I am sure you would regret selling it. Besides I am sure it would annoy the life out of John to know his pieces where selling for £6.

    Did you go to the wedding? Been on a week here, rubbing in how removed from Britishness I am! Why are the only options for colours yellow, coral and turquoise?

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  11. This is something my friends were discussing a few weeks ago, I cant tell you what to do but here are my thoughts. Firstly Galliano is a phenominal designer. His out burst was absolutely unacceptable and I was ready to never want to hear from him again, but having read that his good friends are saying it was very much out of character for him and that he is a good man, just very worryingly ill, I have to give him a second chance. We do not know the man and they do, and this was including his friend Naomi Campbell who is jewish. Secondly I feel loosing his job at Dior was a huge punishment and he must have realised how strongly his actions effected people. I would have no problem wearing or buying his designs, he has appologised, been punished and is getting help. His 'Galliano' label employs so many people, why should they be punished too by having their jobs put under threat if people stop buying the label? I don't know if this is true but I hear they are trying to sack him from his own label too, I feel this would be a great shame and that would actually stop me buying from it in the future, what is the name without the designer at the helm (I know that he probably doesnt even design half the things on that line but they are designed on his influence). If you like the dress you should wear it, but also be prepared that there are some who are so hurt by his actions they may take offence at it. Maybe it will all blow over, I guess it depends on what happens in the next year or so, but it seems a great shame that such influential designs will forever be tarnished. x

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  12. I would feel entirely comfortable wearing it; any monies you have put towards the item went to a very good cause indeed (charity!) and from what you have posted, you are a concious consumer at all times, so I really feel you should wear it!

    If in doubt and something niggles at you, sell it on, keeping the £6.00 you spent yourself, and donate any leftovers to a charity you feel akin to?

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  13. If you move in circles where people are likely to recognise it as Galliano (or care that it is) and be offended then it's up to you whether you like it enough to shrug your shoulders. The fact that you're putting the question out here makes me think you have qualms about wearing it - my advice is to put it away for a few years. If you get rid of it and your daughter (if you have one!)finds out in years to come that you had a Galliano and didn't keep it your life won't be worth living. Take it from one who knows....

    K xx

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  14. Hmm. I think if I were in your shoes, erm dress, I'd apply the same approach to Galliano I do with kids. ie dislike the behaviour rather than the person (or the clothes, heh!).
    I think this post counts as an open letter to Galliano telling him where you stand on his behaviour/racism; so wear that great dress and just hope he listens up and adjusts his attitude!

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  15. If you like the dress Lakota you should wear it, if not sell it on.
    If it covered my knees (I hate my knees!) I would wear it x

    p.s. your posts have been very thought provoking lately. I like reading and thinking about what you've got to say.

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  16. yes, it all makes perfect sense, really.
    on the other hand, it's just a label (am i missing the whole point now?).
    wear what you like, sell on what you like. chances are a lot of people won't notice (okay, so that's probably missing another point now?).
    i have to say i wouldn't recognize it for a galliano, like some other designs do scream their proper names, but really, this is a piece of garment, no?
    i actually find the mad max allusion totally funny. remember the films, also grace in it... where's the time??? ha ha ha...
    n♥

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  17. JG is having a breakdown and said the worst things he could think of... And they were beyond awful. But a lot of his friends say that it wasn't him, he got taken over by madness. But I realise that people would be quite self-conscious about wearing what could easily be recognised as a Galliano. I think maybe you should snip off the metal tag on the outside so the dress becomes anonymous and you can just enjoy wearing a piece of luxury from a time when this man was at the top of this game and in better health. Let us all know what you're thinking of doing!

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  18. PS - I still wear my JG perfume from time to time, if that helps? Same label-less-ness applies there. We are not aligning or supporting him, just appreciating the things he has done in the past before his breakdown...

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  19. Erm. I don't even know what he's supposed to have done!

    Guess that's what happens living on a diet of cbeebies and Thomas the Tank Engine comics.

    S'cuse my ignorange but it's a lovely dress! x

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  20. If you like it - keep it I say. After all, you have done a good turn by buying something from a charity shop, the monies of which will help support the charity.

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  21. I think the dress is lovely but sorry i dont know nothing about designers etc so unsure what the problem with galliano is .... im so behind the times lol

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  22. Hi my dear-Personally, I love the dress for what it is, the style, colour and cut. To wear it, maybe take off the outer Galliano badge and store it safely to put back on in the future. If it was me, I would keep and wear it-I still think its a fabulous find!!

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  23. I think I'd definitely sell it on ebay and, hopefully, make a lot of money from it - which would be quite a yah-boo-sucks two-finger salute to Galliano.

    I thought his anti-semitic comments were totally vile, especially as I have Jewish ancestry.

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  24. Hmm. This is an interesting problem. It is a lovely dress. It's just a shame that it's been stigmatized by Galliano's blatant ignorance. If you feel somehow that wearing the dress refelcts poorly upon you, I wouldn't wear it. And selling it on ebay doesn't mean you support his idiotic mentality, only that you don't want to own his wares for that very reason.

    ~Jackie @ Let's Go Thrifting
    http://LetsGoThrifting.blogspot.com

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  25. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone !
    I'm not condoning for one minute what he said but you can be certain he is deeply regretting his words in these super sensitive days and he is by his friends comments a very ill man and this was totally out of character.
    He will pay for his outburst for the rest of his life.
    If you love the dress, wear it. It looks beautiful.
    Alexandre McQueen committed suicide but the future queen of England was wearing his label on Friday .

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  26. Follow your heart not your head
    My try is over at http://gigglingatitall.blogspot.com

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  27. It is a lovely dress and a great find. I have to admit to thinking the same comment as Mumsarcade left you and that is follow you heart and what ever is best comfortable for you, dee x

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  28. It is a lovely dress. Would l wear it? No. Because l object to being made to look like a walking advert. Names arent for me. And l would feel embarrassed to wear his name in particular. Having said that l do wear vintage fur. We can't be responsible for other peoples choices. l would sell it on e bay. Someone will buy it. It's their lookout.

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  29. Wow, what a bitter sweet find, If you're not comfortable wearing then I'd eBay as I'm sure there's someone out there that has no scruples that will pay top dollar for your find and you could buy loads more stuff at the charity shop that you would be happy to wear. x

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  30. Lakota, your thoughts on fur are identical to mine. I've often said that wearing vintage fur perpetuates the myth that fur is glamorous and feed the desire to own more of it.
    As to your Galiano, you've contributed to charity by purchasing it so that's good karma. If you do sell it make sure you get it's authenticity checked it, a friend sold a hologrammed designer find on eBay in good faith but it turned out to be a very high quality fake and landed her in a lot of trouble. xxx

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  31. Oh, that is a dilemma! If you love it, wear it, but if not-- sell it and donate a portion to a Jewish charity. There! Problem solved, and everyone wins but Galliano himself. ;)

    {found you through Southern Hospitality!}

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  32. despite my mum's excitement at a Jaeger find (hardly in the same league!) I'm not one who is 'into' designer - in fact I much prefer not to have any branded goods, so I don't have a strong opinion on this - depends if you love it for what it is rather than who it's by, in my opinion.

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  33. Ok I never liked the Galliano label but that was just me. The trouble is with outburst is that they can never be taken back. I cannot comment on whether he was mentally ill at the time or what but he would have had to belief those thoughts to have them come out. I'm really opinionated but that doesn't make me right!

    It is a personal decision. I think My-Style's advice is good about taking the outer label off. It wouldn't ruin the item. Wear it and see how you feel.

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  34. I never thought of that ethical issue,,,,thanks for high-lighting it, it makes more aware of what I buy in thrift stores. I guess it's hard. I think if I were you, I would still buy it cos, it's something that someone else has abandoned so I am just saving it from becoming landfill.

    love~mongs
    mythriftycloset.blogspot.com

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  35. I actually love the front design and if you like it, keep it and wear it but if you dont, sell it, i think it's rare to find famous designer clothes in charity shops and thank you for abit of a background history of Galliano, never really interested in famous fashion designers as i can't afford it anyway hahaha :)

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  36. I'd say if it troubles you when you are wearing it, it's best to go on ebay or something.

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  37. Interesting - fantastic find by the way, is so exciting to find something out of the ordinary at a charity shop, isn't it? Personally I'd flog it on Ebay. (Although I wouldn't have a problem wearing it if I liked it/it fitted me).

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  38. It's a fabulous find, but I can understand your dilemma. If you can't bring yourself to wear it, eBay it and give the profits (you'll make far more than £6 I'm sure) to charity.

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  39. I see where you're coming from, and if it were mine I would sell the dress and use the money to buy something else - as you said, the man himself isn't benefiting by it so no harm done.

    We have about 22 charity shops in our little town (Bexhill) and they are generally naff and, I feel, full of those old lady suits (or Primark/New Look tops) I hate so much. I rarely look at the clothes but my husband (he worked for years in top fashion) is excellent at sniffing out good labels and quality fabric and has found me some top gear.

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  40. I agree with Kylie, another thinking post - I would sell it if i wasnt comfortable with wearing it, you've paid your bit to the charity shop so hey thats the bad karma wiped ;o) Scarlett x

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  41. Its a difficult one isn't it. I'd say when it comes to charity shopping, it is really all about whether or not you actually like the garment and it suits you. It is an added bonus if the item is a designer piece, which should, in theory, be a better made piece than a primark that may fall apart? I like your top - and thanks for sharing on my weekly link up!

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