Christian Lacroix Does Not Believe in Tears

It's been no secret within the industry that legendary designer Christian Lacroix is in serious trouble.

He filed for Chapter 11 only weeks ago and was reported to be seeking court protection from his creditors, while simultaneously promising to give his respected fashion house "200 percent" to keep the business afloat. Then there was the report that a mysterious benefactor (possibly a couture client) had approached Lacroix, Cinderella-style, to supply him with an influx of cash that might be able to keep him afloat. With a fluorish, he refused.

And now the theatrics continue: In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Lacroix suggest that this challenge will actually "spark his creative renaissance." In the face of a mounting debt of over 10 million euros and the possibility of losing a staff of 125, Lacroix insists he is "fighting"--and also reveals that he's secretly planning to mount a fashion show in mid-July as "'a fightback.'" WWD this morning confirmed that the show will go on—a "small and simple presentation" will be staged July 7 at Les Arts Decoratifs.

The designer was quick to tell The Telegraph that this presentation can't cost the business a penny--he reveals that he himself is owed upwards of 1.2 million euros--and that fashion isn't dead, and he's "too angry to cry." Insists Lacroix:  "I can't stand the idea that people think I am to blame. But to a certain extent I am paying for not having done what everyone else did, with their logos and It-bags. I never went down that route."