Met Museum Cancels John Galliano Exhibition Amid Antisemitism Backlash

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has canceled a planned major exhibition of British fashion designer John Galliano's work, titled "John Galliano: Horizons," which was slated to open in May 2027. The decision came after significant backlash, particularly due to Galliano's past antisemitic and racist remarks. The exhibition would have been the third major retrospective at the Met for a living designer, following Rei Kawakubo and Yves Saint Laurent.

The controversy intensified because the 2027 Met Gala, an event tied to the Costume Institute's main exhibition, was scheduled for Yom HaShoah, Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day. The museum had initially acknowledged Galliano's controversial past in its exhibition description, promising to address his "ethical responsibility" alongside his artistic achievements, specifically mentioning his 2010-2011 antisemitic, racist, and anti-Asian statements.

Galliano's past troubles resurfaced in February 2011 when he was arrested after an altercation at a Paris cafe. A patron accused him of repeated antisemitic insults, and a video later emerged showing a visibly intoxicated Galliano saying, "I love Hitler," and making threats related to the Holocaust. Following the video's release, Dior, where Galliano was creative director, suspended and then fired him. In September 2011, a French court found him guilty of public insults based on origin, religion, race, or ethnicity.

Galliano, who cited addiction issues and claimed not to recall the incidents or share those views, apologized again for the pain his past words caused, particularly to the Jewish and Asian communities. He stated his decision to withdraw from the exhibition was to prevent controversy from complicating the museum's position or distracting from the Costume Institute's work.

Curator Andrew Bolton acknowledged the exhibition "caused pain and concern" and supported the cancellation. Anna Wintour, a key figure in organizing the Met Gala, called Galliano's decision "a very courageous act." Despite the controversy, Galliano's influence on fashion is widely recognized, with biographer Dana Thomas noting the debate over whether he deserves the honor as a person versus as a designer, concluding he "undoubtedly" deserves it as a designer.