Why John Galliano’s Met Gala Exhibition Was Cancelled 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and John Galliano have decided not to proceed with John Galliano: Horizons, the planned spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition dedicated to the British designer’s four-decade career. The decision was announced jointly on August 31, 2026, with the Met publishing an official statement on its website and Galliano sharing his own statement on Instagram. Galliano said that after “much reflection and discussion” with the Met and those involved in the project, he had decided it was best for the exhibition not to take place at this time.

He acknowledged the pain caused by his past words, particularly to Jewish and Asian communities, said he remained accountable for that harm and recognised that an exhibition or institutional recognition could not serve as atonement. He also said he did not want the controversy surrounding him to put the Met in a difficult position or distract from the Costume Institute’s work. Galliano expressed gratitude to the museum, Max Hollein, Andrew Bolton and Anna Wintour, as well as those who had supported him through 15 years of sobriety and recovery.

Photo: Getty Images

The Met confirmed that the decision was reached with Galliano following discussions. The museum also clarified that the cancellation concerns John Galliano: Horizons and does not mean the 2027 Met Gala itself has been cancelled. Details of a new spring Costume Institute exhibition and the 2027 gala will be announced at a later date.

John Galliano: Horizons was announced on July 31 as the first major museum exhibition to examine the full breadth of Galliano’s creative output. It had been scheduled to run from May 9, 2027, through January 9, 2028, at The Met Fifth Avenue. The exhibition was to bring together garments, accessories, sketches, toiles, research books and archival material from across Galliano’s career, drawing extensively from the Costume Institute’s holdings, which the museum described as the largest collection of his work in the world.

The exhibition would have traced Galliano’s career from his 1984 graduation collection at Central Saint Martins through his eponymous label and appointments at Givenchy and Christian Dior to his years at Maison Margiela. It would have been only the third Costume Institute exhibition devoted to a living designer, following Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons in 2017. The Met had also planned to examine the more difficult aspects of Galliano’s career rather than separate his creative achievements from the events that reshaped his public reputation.

Photo: Getty Images

That history dates to 2011, when videos emerged of Galliano making antisemitic and racist remarks during an incident in Paris. He was dismissed as Christian Dior’s creative director and was later convicted in France in connection with the incident. He apologised for his behaviour, underwent rehabilitation and spent time away from the fashion industry before returning to the business.

Galliano returned to fashion in 2014 as creative director of Maison Margiela, where he remained until 2024. His work at the house received significant critical attention and became an important part of his professional return.

The Met’s decision to devote a major exhibition to Galliano nevertheless prompted renewed criticism. Jewish leaders and other critics questioned whether the museum should give such a prominent institutional platform to a designer whose past remarks had resulted in a conviction. The timing of the planned gala became another point of concern because the traditional first Monday in May date in 2027 falls on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Reports said the museum was considering moving the gala by a week.

The opposition extended to New York politicians and the museum’s donor community. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin criticised the planned exhibition, while Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt raised concerns with Met leadership. Reports also said some donors threatened to withdraw financial support if the exhibition went ahead.

Photo: Instagram

The Met had already been consulting Jewish leaders and other stakeholders while developing the exhibition. Anna Wintour and Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton were involved in efforts to facilitate discussions around Galliano’s past and how it would be addressed within the exhibition. Wintour also arranged a meeting between Galliano and Jewish leaders as the museum sought to engage with concerns about the project.

The Met backed the decision not to proceed. Hollein said the museum and Galliano had reached the decision together, while Bolton acknowledged the concerns surrounding the exhibition and supported the outcome. Wintour also supported the decision and described Galliano’s choice as courageous.

The cancellation ends plans for an exhibition that would have brought together four decades of Galliano’s work and examined both his creative influence and the controversy that altered his career. The Met has not yet announced what will replace John Galliano: Horizons or what direction the 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and Met Gala will take. Further details are expected from the museum at a later date.