JOHN GALLIANO - GALLIANO GUILTY OF PLAGIARISM

GALLIANO GUILTY OF PLAGIARISM

A French court has found British fashion designer JOHN GALLIANO guilty of plagiarism, and ordered him to pay €200,000 (US$271,000/GBP140,000) in damages. American photographer William Klein sued Christian Dior chief designer Galliano for using his trademark technique of painting over photographs in magazine adverts, in ads for the fashion house in Britain, France and Russia. Galliano claimed he had been inspired by, but had not copied Klein - but the Paris court disagreed in it's ruling, made on 28 March (07), but only released today (20Apr07). Klein, 79, says, "I was very bitter and angry when I found out. It felt like a kick in the teeth to the integrity of my work."