Malcolm McLaren has been toying with the idea of a musical about fashion designer Christian Dior (above) for years. Frankly, we would have expected McLaren to be drawn more towards Yves Saint-Laurent. Dior was discreetly gay while his protégé Saint Laurent was brashly open. Dior's styles looked back towards La Belle Epoque and kept women on a pedastal. Saint Laurent created the woman's suit and pioneered the use of models who weren't white. It's classical music versus rock and roll.


French singer Alain Chamfort obviously sparked to the student and not his teacher: Chamfort's new album (inspired by Lou Reed and John Cale's tribute to Andy Warhol, Songs For Drella) is Une Vie Saint-Laurent and charts the designer's life in song. It's available now on Amazon and iTunes.

As Chamfort told RFI Musique, "He was at the vanguard of changes that still resonate today. He was open about his homosexuality, back in the fifties when it was very difficult. His influence on women's role in society is undeniable."



If McLaren ever gets his project off the ground, maybe he'll collaborate with one of his own protégés, Adam Ant. "Christian D'or" was the B-side to Ant's 1981 UK #1 hit "Prince Charming." Morrissey, however, may not be such a good choice. His new compilation Swords (a B-sides collection) includes "Christian Dior," in which Morrissey croons, "Christian Dior/ You wasted your life/ Sensually stroking the weaves of a sleeve."