John Galliano mourns right-hand man

Steven Robinson, head of Christian Dior and John Galliano’s studios, died Sunday from an apparent sudden heart attack. “Steven has been my rock, my dearest friend, and not someone that was meant to ever leave me,” said Galliano, who returned to Paris early from holiday. “He was my family, unswerving in his loyalty and dedication ever since he came to me when he was only seventeen. Working with him has been the greatest adventure and privilege of my career. No one can, or will, ever replace him—and though he shied away from the spotlight and the glory, he was the glue that kept all the magic together as he organized, managed, and inspired the family.”
Robinson served as Galliano’s right hand, confidant, and chief collaborator for nearly 20 years. The two first met in 1988—the same year Galliano won Designer of the Year for his Blanche Dubois collection—when, after graduating from the Epsom School of Art and Design with a degree in fashion, the British native started his career sewing buttons when he came to work for Galliano on a student placement. The House of Dior characterized Robinson as one of the greatest unsung talents of the modern fashion world, whose creativity knew no bounds. “He was full of energy, ideas, his bouncy personality was contagious and he touched many people with his kindness,” the statement read. “He believed nothing was impossible in the quest for beauty and perfection.”