Move over Galliano, Lady Gaga makes debut

PARIS — As if the fashion world hasn't had enough to digest in recent days, with the sacking of Dior designer John Galliano over allegations he hurled anti-Semitic comments, megastar Lady Gaga added to the insanity, making a bumping and grinding modeling debut at Mugler's fall-winter 2011-12 ready-to-wear show on Wednesday.

Dressed in a sheer black top and painted-on pencil skirt, Gaga drew on her wealth of experience with extreme footwear and managed to negotiate the towering platform shoes better than some of the models.

Her catwalk performance — which included plenty of crotch grabbing a la Michael Jackson and saw her pole dance around one of the columns on the mock cathedral set in an apparent homage to Madonna — even managed to eclipse the constant Galliano chatter, sole topic of conversation at the Paris shows.

The scandal began when the designer was detained and questioned about accusations he made anti-Semitic insults at a couple in a Parisian cafe. Other complaints and followed and a damning video — in which an apparently inebriated Galliano slurs "I love Hitler" — went viral on the Internet.

Dior's response was swift and unequivocal. After 15 years with the company, Dior sacked Galliano on Tuesday.

The case continued to develop throughout Wednesday, providing industry insiders a constant stream of fodder for gossip and speculation. The Paris prosecutors office announced Galliano is to stand trial, while the designer issued an apology.

Hilary Alexander of Britain's Daily Telegraph spoke for many in the fashion world, commenting she "pray(ed Galliano) has the strength to survive, and to keep strong, and know there are still many, many people who love him and remember the poetic moments that were the best of his work."

She called the debacle a "horrific morality tale of the cyber age" and a "tragedy of gigantic proportions."

Paris' marathon nine-day-long displays move into day three on Thursday, with shows by U.S. designers Rick Owens and Zac Posen, as well as every jet-setting party girl's favorite brand, Balmain. Here's hoping the label's sky-high hemlines and skintight bustier dresses give everyone something else to talk about, besides Galliano.

MUGLER

If the singing thing doesn't pan out, Lady Gaga can always fall back on modeling. The pop-shock sensation's high-impact debut proved she's got the stuff to make it in the cruel world of fashion.

Legions of fans mobbed the show's venue, a gym in a working-class neighborhood in eastern Paris, hoping for a glimpse of the singer. It was clear that many of the industry insiders also made the trip into the fashion backwater exclusively for Gaga — who'd announced she'd be walking in the show on her Twitter account the day before.