An exhibit honoring British designer John Galliano at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has been canceled. "John Galliano: Horizons," the high-profile exhibit at the Costume Institute that was set to be launched and be the theme of the museum’s 2027 Met Gala, will be replaced by another exhibit. The move follows backlash to Galliano’s past antisemitic and racist statements.
In 2011, while serving as creative director at Dior, a series of racist and antisemitic comments made by Galliano, who was at times intoxicated, surfaced and went viral, leading to a conviction for public insults in France and his firing from Dior. In a statement published on Monday, Galliano said that with “great sadness,” he had decided it was best for the exhibition not to take place: “I do not want the debate surrounding me to place the Met in a difficult position.” He said in the statement that he remains “fully accountable” for the pain he has caused, "particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities.” Newsweek spoke with experts about how future plans may unfold and the broader implications for fashion's showpiece. Vogue and The Metropolitan Museum of Art directed Newsweek to statements issued on August 31 when contacted for comment.
Newsweek has contacted a representative for Galliano for comment. Galliano has long been regarded as one of the fashion industry’s greatest visionaries, but his comments left a significant stain on his legacy. After the announcement of the 2027 Met Gala theme, political and civic leaders as well as the public raised concerns about his racist and antisemitic comments.
On October 8, 2010, an intoxicated Galliano said to a couple at a bar in Paris, “I love Hitler.” He said: “People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be f****** gassed.” In February 2011, there was a further incident of antisemitic and racist comments to museum curator Geraldine Bloch and her friend. He entered rehab in 2011 and went on to make a comeback in the fashion industry in 2014, when he joined Parisian fashion house Maison Margiela as creative director and stayed for a decade, leaving in 2024.
In his statement, Galliano said: “I understand that meaningful atonement is not achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition or a single public gesture.” He said that he understood an exhibition honoring his work would be “painful for some” and expressed gratitude to those who have “guided, supported and accompanied me” through 15 years of sobriety and recovery from alcoholism and addiction. Anna Wintour, the global chief content officer and artistic director at Condé Nast, said in a statement in the press release from The Met that Galliano’s decision is “very courageous and a measure of the man he is.” She added that she believes it is the right decision. In a July press release, The Met said that the original exhibit was meant to consider “how artistic achievement should be understood alongside ethical accountability.” Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of The Met’s Costume Institute, said in a press release: “I believe deeply in the responsibility of museums to examine difficult histories with rigor, candor, and care.
I also recognize the pain and concern this exhibition has caused,” adding that he supported the decision not to proceed. Following the announcement of Galliano’s exit, broader questions have arisen over the implications and how fashion's biggest night will proceed. Vogue directed Newsweek to a statement in response to a request for comment.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
