Exactly a month ago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed that its Spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition would spotlight controversial designer John Galliano and his four-decade career. The long-rumored news exploded across the fashion industry, inspiring a torrent of think pieces and online backlash. On Monday, The Met announced that it is canceling the “John Galliano: Horizons” exhibit, originally scheduled to open in May 2027.
The Met and Galliano released a joint press release announcing the news: “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,” Galliano said in a statement. “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. I understand that meaningful atonement is not achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition or a single public gesture. It is a continuing responsibility, demonstrated through listening, learning and one’s conduct over time.”
The original exhibit planned to showcase Galliano’s 1984 Central Saint Martins graduation collection as well as pieces from his namesake label and tenures at Givenchy, Christian Dior and Maison Margiela. It would also address his “antisemitic, racist and anti-Asian conduct in 2010 and 2011,” per a press release. Galliano was found guilty of making antisemitic and anti-Asian insults at a Paris restaurant in 2010 and 2011, including declaring his love for Adolf Hitler. He was fired from his position as Dior’s creative director after his arrest.
“I do not want the debate surrounding me to place The Met in a difficult position or to distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute,” Galliano continued. “I also recognize and respect that an exhibition honoring my work would be painful for some.”
Per The New York Times, The Met’s trustees and board members were considering rescheduling the date of the next Met Gala from its usual slot (the first Monday in May) to the week after because Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day, will fall on the scheduled date. Since The Met announced Galliano’s dedicated exhibit, donors have contacted museum executives and threatened to rescind donations if the exhibit moves forward as planned.
“I believe deeply in the responsibility of museums to examine difficult histories with rigor, candor and care,” Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of The Met’s Costume Institute, said in a statement. “I also recognize the pain and concern this exhibition has caused. After extensive discussion, I support the decision not to proceed.”
A new spring Costume Institute exhibit and the 2027 Met Gala will be announced at a later date. This is not the first time a Costume Institute exhibit has been canceled: In 2000, the museum scrapped plans for a retrospective exhibit of Coco Chanel‘s work, and in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the exhibit titled “About Time: Fashion and Duration” to a halt.
“John’s decision that the exhibition devoted to his work should not take place at this time is very courageous and a measure of the man he is,” Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast, said in a statement. “I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the Museum have my full support.”
