WWD Reports: Marc Jacobs in Talks to Take Over at Christian Dior

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All that talk about Riccardo Tisci taking the reins at Christian Dior following this year's fall-out over John Galliano's pro-Hitler rants—Fashionista went so far in May as to claim that Tisci's deal was sealed—may be totally bunk after all. Today's WWD reports that Dior chief Bernard Arnault is "in talks with Marc Jacobs about becoming the new couturier of the fabled French house."

So this is how it would go down: Jacobs would go to Dior and Phoebe Philo, whose work at Celine has been a rollicking success, would take the reins at Louis Vuitton.

"One source cautioned that a deal with Jacobs is not assured, but that the American designer and Dior management are so far 'excited' about the prospect," reports WWD. "Meetings are scheduled to take place in Paris this week between Dior officials and legal representatives for Jacobs, who is currently in New York preparing for his signature fashion show there."

As for all those names that have been bandied about as possible successors to Galliano? WWD says:

It is understood they have approached a wide swath of potential candidates to succeed Galliano, including Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz, Balenciaga’s Nicolas Ghesquière, Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton, Haider Ackermann and Hedi Slimane.

According to sources, Elbaz and Ghesquière, both of whom have equity stakes in their fashion houses and strong personal commitments to their brands, have withdrawn themselves from the running. Burton, meanwhile, is said to have rebuffed overtures. Talks with Ackermann and Slimane did not end in an agreement.

Riccardo Tisci, the couturier at Givenchy, is also considered a dark-horse candidate. He has earned a cult following for his darkly romantic, Goth-inflected approach to fashion, and has been championed by Delphine Arnault.