The Met and John Galliano Cancel Spring 2027 Exhibition

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and John Galliano have agreed not to proceed with a planned spring 2027 exhibition following backlash over his past racist and antisemitic remarks.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and British fashion designer John Galliano have agreed not to proceed with a planned spring 2027 exhibition highlighting his work. The exhibition was meant to be the focus of the 2027 Met Gala and was set to be titled “John Galliano: Horizons.” The decision came after backlash, including from members of the Jewish community, over Galliano’s past antisemitic and racist comments.

Galliano, who built his career through creative and flamboyant designs, is recognized as one of the fashion world’s biggest talents. In 1996, he became creative director of Christian Dior, but was fired from his position in 2011 after videos of racist and antisemitic comments he made were recorded and went viral. He was later convicted in France of making public insults based on race, religion, ethnicity or origin.

The comments Galliano made to people in a bar were caught on video. He made remarks such as “I love Hitler.” He also told Jewish patrons that their relatives would have been “gassed,” along with making derogatory comments toward Asian patrons.

After being dismissed by Dior, Galliano spent a few years away from the fashion industry. In 2014, he made a comeback after being hired by Maison Margiela, a Paris fashion house, where he remained for a decade.

The spring 2027 exhibition was expected to be one of the major events on the fashion calendar. It was planned as part of the Met Gala, where celebrity guests would have toured the exhibition during the evening. The exhibition would have highlighted Galliano's 40-year career through his designs, sketches, accessories and other pieces.

When it was announced at the end of July, the museum said the exhibition would not ignore Galliano’s past, but would look at his offensive conduct alongside his artistic achievements and the consequences of his actions. The announcement still received significant criticism, with people questioning whether Galliano should be honored in one of the world’s most recognized museums.

On Aug. 31, The Met and Galliano announced they would not be continuing with plans for the exhibition in the following spring. Met Director and CEO Max Hollein said that the decision came after discussions between Galliano and the museum. Galliano recognized his past mistakes and said that it was better for the exhibition not to take place at this time. He acknowledged his hurtful words and the pain they caused, particularly to Jewish and Asian communities.

This cancellation means that the Met Gala will have to find a new exhibition for spring 2027. As of now, there has been no announcement about what will take the place of John Galliano’s display. The Met says information about the new exhibition will be released at a later date.