It’s official: The next Met Gala honoring John Galliano is over. Originally set to debut next May, the Costume Institute’s cancellation of its “John Galliano: Horizons” exhibit was shared in press statements from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Galliano this morning. The designer’s retrospective would have featured pieces from his namesake brand and tenures at Dior and Maison Margiela, making him one of three fashion designers — including Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo — to receive a solo Met exhibit in their lifetime.
“After much reflection and discussion with all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition to not take place at this time,” Galliano said in a statement shared on Instagram. “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. 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.”
Previously, Galliano made antisemitic and racist remarks while drunk in 2011, resulting in his firing as creative director at Dior and his own brand. Shortly afterwards, he was convicted of hate speech in a French court and went through rehabilitation for drug and alcohol addiction.
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Since his retrospective at the Met was announced in July, the designer’s past words have resurfaced and caused public controversy once again. Donors threatened to remove their gifts for the museum if the exhibit continued, according to The New York Times. Public figures including Speaker of the New York City Council Julie Menin, Arne Glimcher, and Jill Kargman spoke against Galliano’s exhibition taking place, as well. Museum trustees were also potentially discussing a date change for the Met Gala on May 4, which overlapped with Yom HaShoah, a day of remembrance for Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
Though both Galliano and the Met’s statements didn’t specify a reason for the exhibit’s end, his remarks noted that he did not want his past controversies to put the Costume Institute or the Met itself in a “difficult position.” In the Met’s press release, Curator in Charge Andrew Bolton said, “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. After extensive discussion, I support the decision not to proceed.” Anna Wintour, who’s organized the Gala for years as trustee and been a longtime champion of Galliano’s, said his step back from the exhibit “is very courageous and a measure of the man he is.”
Previously, the only canceled Gala happened for its “About Time” exhibit in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That event was followed by its two-part “In America” exhibit, which held Met Galas in September 2021 and May 2022. At this time, there’s been no word on a new spring exhibit theme or potential Met Gala date change for the 2027 event.
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