When John Galliano unexpectedly showed up at Oscar de la Renta's studio to work on his autumn/winter 2013 collection, tongues started wagging. Was the disgraced designer about to take over as creative director? Was this proof that the industry was ready to welcome Galliano back into the fold, two years after he was dismissed from Dior for his anti-Semitic outburst in Paris? Turns out all that speculation was unfounded: John Galliano will not be returning to the New York fashion house in a more permanent role. The reason? Money. 

"It is categorically not happening," a source told Page Six. "Oscar de la Renta is still looking for a new creative director. Money was the biggest factor which held up the negotiations, and they couldn’t reach an agreement," the source explains, "although John and Oscar remain very good friends. John is grateful that Oscar gave him a second chance."

After their well-received autumn/winter 2013 collaboration, Galliano was widely seen as a viable candidate for creative director of Oscar de la Renta. Unfortunately, it seems that Galliano wanted backing for a large design team, as well as specialist support staff for his atelier, and de la Renta was unwilling to front the cash. 

It was de la Renta that gave Galliano his second chance, and reopened the door for him to step back into the fashion world after his dismissal from Dior in 2011. In early 2013, de la Renta said, "He has worked long and hard on his recovery, and I am happy to give him the opportunity to re-immerse himself in the world of fashion and reacclimate in an environment where he has been so creative."

Where next for Galliano? So far, Galliano has been focusing on his recovery, as well as mentoring fashion students at Central Saint Martins. Last year, he spoke for the first time about his struggle to make amends for his misdeeds on the Charlie Rose show: