John Galliano will no longer be honored with a special exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art after a fierce round of criticism over offensive statements he made about Jewish and Asian people in 2011.
Galliano confirmed the exhibit would no longer take place in an Instagram post, in which he again apologized for the “pain” he caused with his 2011 outburst, which led to his conviction on hate crime charges in France. “I understand that meaningful atonement is not achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition, or a single public gesture,” Galliano wrote. “It is a continuing responsibility, demonstrated through listening, learning, and one’s conduct over time.”
The Met announced John Galliano: Horizons as the Costume Institute’s 2027 exhibit — which is tied to the annual Met Gala — earlier this month. The show would’ve made Galliano the third living designer to be honored with a solo exhibition, alongside Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo.
During his heyday, which included a lengthy tenure at Dior, Galliano established himself as one of the most revered and influential designers of the 20th century. But his 2011 outburst — in which he was caught at a Paris bar saying “I love Hitler” and other offensive remarks — has continued to cloud his career, even as he’s made amends, gotten sober, and returned to the fashion world with high-profile jobs at brands like Maison Margiela.
Before announcing Galliano as the subject of the Costume Institute’s annual exhibit, head curator Andrew Bolton and Met trustee and former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour reportedly did extensive outreach to Jewish leaders and rabbis. Most seemed on board, with the Anti-Defamation League stating that it believed Galliano had “genuinely worked through the issues that led to his antisemitic outburst years ago in Paris and we have long since accepted his apology.”
But others were still outraged at the news, including a slew of Met Museum donors, who threatened to rescind gifts. New York City Council speaker Julie Menin also called the exhibit “a serious mistake” in a letter sent to Anna Wintour, Bolton, and Met Museum director Max Hollein.
In his statement, Galliano said he did not want “the debate surrounding me” to put the Met in a “difficult distraction or to distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute.” He continued, “I also recognize and respect that an exhibition honouring my work would be painful for some. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to all those who have guided, supported and accompanied me throughout these fifteen years of sobriety and recovery from addiction. Your wisdom, patience and humanity have helped me more than I can ever adequately express. I remain profoundly indebted to you for giving me, as you promised, a life better than I could ever have dreamt of.”
In her own statement, Anna Wintour added, “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. I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the Museum have my full support.”
The Met said it will share new details about its 2027 Costume Institute exhibit, as well as the Met Gala, at a later date.