John Galliano Exhibition at the Met Canceled Following Backlash

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute has canceled a planned 2027 exhibition dedicated to the life and work of fashion designer John Galliano. The exhibition, titled John Galliano: Horizons, was scheduled to open on May 9, 2027, and would have been a rare honor, as only Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo have received solo exhibitions at the Met while still living. Galliano announced the decision to cancel the event in a lengthy statement at the end of August, stating it would be best not to hold the exhibition at this time.

The cancellation follows significant criticism regarding the museum's decision to honor Galliano, who has a history of antisemitic behavior. In 2010, Galliano was fired from Dior after being filmed making antisemitic remarks while intoxicated. A French court subsequently fined him 6,000 euros in 2011, and he entered rehabilitation. Galliano has since apologized publicly, attributing the comments to addiction and pressure, and participated in a rabbi training program in London to study Judaism and the Holocaust.

Prior to the cancellation, curator Andrew Bolton and Anna Wintour defended the project, asserting that the exhibition would have examined how Galliano's behavior and its consequences shaped the perception of his work. Wintour stated that a career is not defined by a single moment. The Met also noted that they had consulted with leaders of the New York Jewish community and rabbis before the initial announcement.

Outlets with a center lean framed the event as a missed opportunity to crown the career of one of the most influential designers in history. Conversely, outlets with a left lean framed the cancellation as the correct decision, questioning whether antisemitism can be dismissed as a single moment.