The 2027 Met Gala Will No Longer Honor John Galliano

The 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and Met Gala theme, originally set to honor John Galliano, will not move forward. On Monday, the designer took to Instagram to announce his decision to pull out of the event in light of backlash surrounding his involvement.

“After much reflection and discussion with all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time,” the 65-year-old wrote.

The plan to honor Galliano was initially revealed in July. Titled “John Galliano: Horizons,” the Met Gala and accompanying exhibition was supposed to examine the designer’s trajectory, from his 1984 graduation show at Central Saint Martins in London through his collections at the helm of Givenchy, Christian Dior, his eponymous brand, and Maison Margiela. The museum also promised to address Galliano’s controversial past, specifically, numerous incidents throughout 2011 when the designer went on both antisemitic and anti-Asian tirades in Paris. One of the occurrences, in which Galliano yelled “I love Hitler,” was caught on camera. It was after the video surfaced that Dior fired him. Six months later, he was convicted of hate crimes by a French court.

The New York Times also cited more recent allegations of antisemitism in 2019. According to entrepreneur and philanthropist Julie Macklowe, Galliano harassed her friend Sabine Cimber Goldberg when the designer heard Goldberg speaking Hebrew at a spa in Italy. Galliano has denied these claims. Many also pointed out that the first Monday in May next year lands on Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day. There was discussion that the Met would move the event as a result.

Controversy has been brewing since the announcement. The focus on Galliano would have made him only the third living designer to get a solo retrospective at the Costume Institute, following Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo in 2017. Many felt it was inappropriate. According to the Times, the situation escalated in recent days, with major museum donors threatening to rescind gifts and local and political leaders speaking out in opposition. Julie Menin, the speaker of the City Council, called the show “a gut punch to the Jewish community in our city, who are already reeling.” Brad Lander, a Democratic congressional candidate from Brooklyn, called it “a bad mistake.”

“This seems very straightforward to me,” Lander said on Sunday, according to the Times. “They should cancel the show and change the Met Gala honoree.”

Back in July, the museum’s director and CEO, Max Hollein, emphasized that “the Met has no tolerance for antisemitism, racism or prejudice of any kind.” He ensured that those planning the exhibition were “in close consultation with Jewish leaders and other stakeholders” and taking the concerns of the public “very seriously.” Anna Wintour and the curator of the Costume Institute Andrew Bolton even organized a meeting between Galliano and Jewish leaders. Wintour reportedly invited Angela W. Buchdahl, the senior rabbi of Central Synagogue, to join the Gala’s host committee, though she declined.

According to the Times, there was a plan for the key members of the Met’s board of trustees to meet on Monday morning to talk through the exhibition and backlash, as well as a planned Zoom for the afternoon with museum leadership. Now, though, there is no longer an exhibition to discuss. Galliano wrote in his statement, “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. I also recognize and respect that an exhibition honoring my work would be painful for some.”

He continued, “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.”

Hollein provided his support to Galliano on Monday, saying, “Following thoughtful discussion with John Galliano and many stakeholders I agree with John’s decision that this is not the right time for this exhibition.”

Wintour, a longtime champion of Galliano, who is paramount in selecting the Gala’s theme every year, said, “John’s decision to ask the Museum to postpone the exhibition devoted to his work is very courageous and a measure of the man he is.” She called it “the right decision.” She then continued to extol the designer’s virtues, citing many of his career achievements and calling him “the greatest” and “the premier couturier of his generation.”

The new theme for the 2027 Met Gala and Costume exhibition will be announced at a later date.