Galliano meets rabbi as part of rehab plan: Scheme is part of designer's treatment following drunken anti-Semitic rant

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The fashion designer is also meeting with a Holocaust survivor
Galliano admitted to being an alcoholic but said it was no excuse
His fans include Madonna, Kate Moss and Kylie Minogue
He lost his job with Christian Dior after calling a woman a 'Jewish whore'

By Jonathan Petre for The Mail on Sunday

Published: 19:07 EST, 30 May 2015 | Updated: 19:43 EST, 30 May 2015

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Fashion designer John Galliano has been secretly meeting a Holocaust survivor and a rabbi as part of his rehabilitation for a drunken anti-Semitic rant.

Galliano, whose fans included Madonna, Kate Moss and Kylie Minogue, lost his job with Christian Dior in 2011 after calling a woman in a Paris bar a 'Jewish whore'.

He was also convicted by a French court of making 'public insults'.

Disgraced fashion designer John Galliano poses for a photograph after joining Belgian fashion house Maison Martin Margiela (left) and (right) arrives at a Paris court house in May 2013. Following a racist and anti-Semitic rant in 2011, Galliano has been undergoing rehab meetings with a Holocaust survivor and a rabbi

Since then he has had meetings with London Rabbi Barry Marcus and Harry Olmer, 87, who was a teenager when he was imprisoned in labour camps, losing most of his family.

Galliano told an audience at the launch of a Jewish educational project in London last week: 'I am an alcoholic and that is no means an excuse. But I'm now recovering and part of that is coming to terms with what I did.'

He said he used to blame everyone else but now accepted responsibility.

Sessions with the rabbi and Mr Olmer had taught him how to survive and be more 'spiritual'.

Mr Olmer said he had never heard of Galliano before meeting him, but that the 'very nice' designer had since offered to make him a suit.

The designer was asked to leave his job at Dior after a damning video emerged of him telling a woman whom he thought was Jewish that he loved Hitler and that her parents should have been gassed.

Two other women also complained to police about suffering anti-Semitic abuse at the hands of the designer.

Face of Dior, Natalie Portman, was among those outraged by his remarks.

Galliano during the French fashion house Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2011 ready-to-wear collection. Galliano was found guilty of anti-Semitic insults in September 2011. The designer has confessed to being an alcohol but admits that this is no excuse for his drunken outburst

A model presents a creation by the British designer as part of his Spring/Summer 2009 women's ready-to-wear fashion collection show in Paris in October 2009. Galliano practically disappeared from the fashion world in disgrace following his 2011 tirade, but re-emerged in January this year with Belgian house Maison Martin Margiela

The Oscar-winning actress said at the time: 'In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr Galliano in any way.

'I hope at the very least these terrible comments remind us to reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful.'

Galliano returned from fashion exile in January to unveil his first collection in four years at London Collections: Men, and the fashion community lapped up his surreal collections.

The designer's much-anticipated show for Belgian brand Maison Martin Margiela was his first since losing his job at Dior, following the racist rant in 2011.

Models present creations by British designer John Galliano for Christian Dior during the Spring/Summer 2011 Haute Couture Collection Show in January 2011, just weeks before he was asked to leave his job at the French fashion house

Canadian model Linda Evangelista presents a creation by Galliano for Christian Dior Fall/Winter 2007-8 Haute Couture collection show in July 2007. Oscar-winning actress and face of Dior, Natalie Portman, said that she wanted nothing more to do with Galliano following his drunken outburst

Kate Moss turned out to support the 54-year-old designer, along with her husband Jamie Hince, Jefferson Hack, Manolo Blahnik, Burberry's creative director Christopher Bailey and Natalie Massenet of Net-A-Porter.

His flamboyant creations included a jumbo-sized devil's mask work with a red swing coat and red rubber leggings and a ghostly wedding dress.

Editor of fashionista.com Lauren Sherman commented of the collection: 'Galliano's demons were out there for all to see.

'Many of the looks were like beautiful innards twisted outwards, as if Galliano was using this collection to purge himself of his demons.'

Although Galliano was famous for his flamboyant end-of-show bows while at Dior, he chose to skip the catwalk in January and left the venue immediately after the show.