The Metropolitan Museum of Art has officially cancelled its highly anticipated spring Costume Institute exhibit that was set to celebrate fashion designer John Galliano. The decision came after significant backlash from the Jewish community and others over Galliano's history of making deeply offensive antisemitic and racist statements.
The exhibition, tentatively titled "John Galliano: Horizons," was slated to be the focus of the prestigious Met Gala next May. However, museum director and CEO Max Hollein announced the cancellation in a statement on Monday, confirming it would be replaced by a different exhibition.
"Following thoughtful discussions with John Galliano, we have together decided not to proceed with the exhibition," Hollein stated. Galliano himself agreed with the decision, saying, "After much reflection and discussion with The Met and all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time. I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry for it."
Galliano, once a celebrated creative director at Christian Dior, was fired in 2011 after videos surfaced of him making vile comments. In remarks to patrons at a Paris bar, he was heard saying, "I love Hitler." He also told patrons who were Jewish that their ancestors would have "been gassed" and made derogatory remarks to an Asian patron. These incidents led to his conviction in an antisemitism trial in France.
After his dismissal from Dior, Galliano spent years working on his public image and professional rehabilitation. He made a notable comeback in 2014 when he joined Maison Margiela, where he worked for a decade. The planned Met exhibition would have made him only the third living designer to receive such a solo honor at the Costume Institute, a testament to his design talent.
The Met Gala, a star-studded event that kicks off the exhibition each year, is overseen by Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of Vogue. Wintour, a long-time supporter of Galliano, called his decision to withdraw "very courageous." She added, "I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the Museum have my full support."
Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute's curator, also voiced his agreement with the cancellation, acknowledging the "pain and concern" the exhibition had caused. When the show was initially announced in late July, the museum had stated that the exhibit would directly address Galliano's past mistakes and had engaged in discussions with Jewish community leaders beforehand, though these efforts failed to prevent the strong opposition.
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, whose mother is a Holocaust survivor, was a vocal critic of the proposed exhibit. She stated, "From the beginning, I have told them that I strongly disagreed with this decision, and at this rising time of antisemitism, it had served as a gut punch to the Jewish community. This is the correct decision, as the harm and pain this was causing was simply unacceptable."
Adding another layer of complexity, the Met Gala is traditionally held on the first Monday in May. In 2027, this date falls on Holocaust Remembrance Day. There had been speculation that the museum might consider rescheduling the event for this very reason.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), commented on the situation via X, calling the planned exhibit "the wrong move at the wrong moment." He added, "With antisemitism at crisis levels, the Met honoring John Galliano at this moment was misguided, and even Galliano ultimately recognized what the Met should have done at the start." Greenblatt mentioned meeting with Hollein and a Met board member weeks prior to urge the museum to cancel the show.
Despite the controversy, Greenblatt had previously acknowledged Galliano's efforts to atone for his past actions, with the ADL having long since accepted the designer's apologies.