Met Museum cancels planned 2027 John Galliano exhibition and gala after public backlash

Exhibition cancellation

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York canceled its scheduled May 2027 Costume Institute retrospective devoted to 65-year-old British designer John Galliano. The exhibition, titled "John Galliano: Horizons," was planned to accompany the annual Met Gala benefit on the museum calendar. The museum released a formal statement on 31 August 2026 confirming that the exhibition will not proceed as planned following weeks of public criticism. The decision was reached jointly by museum leadership, trustees, and the designer himself after consultations with community leaders failed to resolve concerns over the project.

After much reflection and discussion with the Met and all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time.

Backlash and political pressure

Opposition to the exhibition centered on Galliano's 2011 dismissal from Dior and subsequent hate crime conviction in France for public antisemitic and anti-Asian slurs. Video footage from a Paris cafe in 2011 showed the designer declaring admiration for Adolf Hitler and insulting patrons. Outrage grew when public observers noted that the proposed gala date, 3 May 2027, coincided directly with Yom HaShoah, the Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day. Multiple museum donors warned leadership that they would pull their contributions if the retrospective proceeded. Julie Menin, the speaker of the New York City Council and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, publicly described the museum's choice of Galliano as a serious mistake.

Rehabilitation and institutional backing

The retrospective was championed by Vogue global editorial director and Met trustee Anna Wintour, who has supported Galliano since his career collapsed in 2011. Wintour previously helped Galliano secure a temporary design residency with Oscar de la Renta in 2013, before he became creative director at Maison Margiela in 2014. Costume Institute head curator Andrew Bolton considered a Galliano retrospective as early as 2010 and started formal planning in 2024. In early August 2026, 76-year-old Wintour held a 30-minute video call with Menin to advocate for the exhibition, offering private meetings with Galliano, but was unable to overcome resistance. The Costume Institute has maintained an unofficial practice avoiding solo retrospectives for living designers, having granted only two such shows in its 80-year history.

John's decision that the exhibition devoted to his work should not take place at this time is very courageous and a measure of the man he is.

Industry debate on accountability

The cancellation prompted discussion across the fashion and museum sectors regarding the role of institutions in staging retrospectives for living creators with histories of hate speech. Galliano, who recently signed a two-year creative partnership with Spanish fast-fashion retailer Zara, stated that he remains accountable for the harm caused to Jewish and Asian communities. Commentators noted that while Galliano achieved critical success with collections at Maison Margiela and was featured in the 2023 documentary High & Low, broader public sentiment differed sharply from the fashion industry's willingness to rehabilitate him. Following the withdrawal of the Galliano show, the Metropolitan Museum must identify a new concept for its May 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and gala.

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.