Armani Accuses Dior of Lacking Respect

Giorgio Armani has accused Christian Dior of showing him a lack of respect, in a rumbling dispute over changing times of haute couture runway shows in next week’s season.

The Italian designer is apparently incensed that the timing of an additional Dior show will prevent him from using certain models.

“I regret to inform you that as a result of a last minute, unexpected and unjustifiable change of program by Dior, about which we were informed less than two weeks before the date of the show, I have been forced to reschedule the timing of my own collection, postponing it from 7.30 PM to 9 PM on the same day, Monday 25th January,” Armani said in an email sent to FWD.

In the official schedule composed by the Chambre Syndicale, and available on its website, Dior is listed as staging just one show at just 2.30 PM on Monday. However, this first show is for the press, while a later unlisted show at 5.30 PM is held for VIPs and actual paying clients.

Dior CEO Sidney Toledano did not return calls from FWD. A spokesman for the house said “we think it is not elegant to comment.”

Armani, on the other hand, was not lost for words.

“I am sorry for the inconvenience that this change may cause you, including the difficulty of publishing an article on the following day. I would like to make it clear that the
alteration, which is occurring in spite of our repeated attempts to arrive at a more satisfactory solution, is an action which I consider to be arbitrary and indicative of a lack of respect for other people’s time and labor. I would like to thank you in advance for your understanding and to say how much I am looking forward to seeing you at the show,” Armani’s email read.

Staging a collection of couture, which is designed to be worn by movie stars or the mega rich, at any time after 8PM is rare. The privileged generally prefer not to dine too late.

The Dior spokesman noted that Dior had already staged two shows at 2.30 PM and 5.30 PM in the most recent couture season, in July 2009.

Asked about the contretemps, Chambre president Grumbach praised Armani for being sporting enough to change his time slot.

“The calendar looked perfect. But suddenly there was 5.30 show and that was too close to Armani’s original time slot. So, of course he was aggravated. But Signor Armani reacted very quickly and beautifully to change the timing. We really appreciate his efforts,” Grumbach said.

The Chambre president sought to downplay the dispute.

“This sort of thing happens all the time, so people have to move, but in this case it is a real pity. Of course the main problem is the models, that’s always the main issue in these matters,” said Grumbach, adding he had wrote Armani a letter, thanking him for “not over dramatizing.”

But Armani clearly has not said the last word.

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