The Metropolitan Museum in New York canceled the John Galliano: Horizons exhibition, which it had planned to open in May 2027. The museum’s plans were previously announced in the museum press release, and John Galliano himself said that after discussions with the Met and other participants, he decided not to go ahead with the project now.
In his statement, the designer said he understands that an exhibition devoted to his work may be painful for some people. He also added that he takes full responsibility for the pain caused by his words in the past, especially to Jews and Asians, and that, in his words, redemption is not achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition, or a one-time public gesture.
Galliano also recalled his 15 years of sobriety and recovery from alcoholism and addiction. The release and his statement emphasize that he did not want to distract attention from the museum’s Costume Institute work.
The British designer was dismissed as creative director of Dior in 2011. A Paris court found him guilty of insulting a Jewish curator in a restaurant, and the case materials also included racist insults directed at her South Asian friend and a separate incident involving a statement of love for Hitler; he apologized at the time, and his lawyer explained his behavior as work stress and several addictions.
After that, Galliano returned to the fashion industry and was creative director of Maison Margiela until 2024. Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue, a member of the Met board of trustees, and co-chair of the Met Gala, called the cancellation of the exhibition the right decision and said she supports both Galliano and the museum.
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, an American organization fighting antisemitism, opposed the museum’s plans. The next Met Gala is set for May 3 and will coincide with Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Before the exhibition was canceled, Galliano and his work were supposed to be the theme of the next Met Gala. After the museum’s decision, the project will not take place in the planned form.
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