The Top 5 Contenders for John Galliano's Job at Christian Dior

The creative head of Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci has been lauded for bringing an archaic brand back from obscurity. In fact, if you believe the tweets, he's already got Galliano's job. Our reasoning behind this choice? Firstly, he's part of the LVMH family. Secondly, he's a talented couturier, and like John Galliano, he knows how to put on a good show. Tisci's intricate craftsmanship, attention to detail and strong voice as a designer make him a safe bet. Interestingly, Galliano was shifted by LVMH from Givenchy to Christian Dior, so history may repeat itself, this time however, with Tisci under the spotlight.

See our event coverage of Christian Dior's private dinner to celebrate the opening of its new store on Peking Road here.

Alber Elbaz, the artistic director of Lanvin, can take the house of Christian Dior back to an age of simple elegance. It would be a refreshing change after Galliano's years of lunacy and historical references. Following a brief stint at Guy Laroche, the Moroccon-born, Israeli designer took over the ready-to-wear line for Yves Saint Laurent in 1998. Here Alber was being groomed to take over as head designer for the luxury French house. However, when the Gucci Group acquired YSL Rive Gauche, Tom Ford came in and gave him the boot. Alber joined Lanvin in 2001. His highly sophisticated yet pragmatic approach to the brand's collections has since garnered wide acclaim.?

If Dior wants a younger, more updated version of John Galliano as a replacement, former artistic director of Nina Ricci, Olivier Theyskens is their man. Aside from having a similar look to Galliano, they share an unbridled creative vision that's borderline sociopathic. It's what differentiates the geniuses from the mere talented. The Belgium-born designer dropped out of the prestigious École Nationale Superieure des Arts Visuels de la Cambre to start his own label. He created his first collection from bed sheets that his grandmother gave him. Without sufficient financial backing, Theysken's label closed. Currently, he is artistic director for the New York-based brand Theory.

Lurking on the edge of avant-garde and elegance is cult designer Rick Owens. Putting the Californian-born designer at the helm of Christian Dior could ruffle feathers but the end result would rock. With a penchant for classic Hollywood glamour and gothic romanticism, Owens can bring plenty to Christian Dior's drawing table. His latest autumn 2011 collection highlighted his maturing design style and ability to create killer silhouettes. Having made Paris his permanent home for almost a decade, Owens has a good understanding of French Fashion.

See our review of London Fashion Week autumn 2011 here.