The Manolo quotes an earlier news article concerning John Galliano, the fashion designer fired today by Christian Dior after being caught on video saying, “I love Hitler” and contrasts that with a quite stylish-looking dress that Galliano designed, along with a caption: “How can this be?”
So, how does one enjoy the transcendent clothing of John Galliano without feeling that one is somehow patronizing the bigot?
How to sanction the artist, while admitting that his art brings beauty and joy to the world?
The Manolo, who loves the poetry of Ezra Pound, the music of Wagner, and the clothing of John Galliano, has no easy answer to this question.
As Woody Allen once told biographer Eric Lax:
“Talent is absolutely luck,” he said one day while talking about his early fear of performing. “And no question that the most import thing in the world is courage. People worship talent and it’s so ridiculous. Talent is something you’re born with, like Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] is born tall. That’s why so many talented people are shitheels.”
And yes, that quote dates to a book released about five minutes before the layers of irony apparent within it would be obvious for everyone to see.
Update: Welcome to the readers of the Manolo — I only wish we were discussing a much more fun topic than this.
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