John Galliano has withdrawn from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s planned Spring 2027 retrospective, John Galliano: Horizons, saying that he believes it is best for the exhibition not to take place “at this time.”
The decision was announced on August 31, following weeks of public discussion surrounding the proposed exhibition. The Met had announced the retrospective on July 31, describing it as the first major museum exhibition to examine the full breadth of Galliano’s four-decade career, from his 1984 Central Saint Martins graduation collection through his work at Givenchy, Dior and Maison Margiela. (Vogue)
In a statement, Galliano expressed gratitude to Met director Max Hollein, Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, Anna Wintour and the wider museum team for proposing the exhibition. He also addressed the controversy surrounding his past, saying he remains accountable for the hurt caused by his previous antisemitic and racist remarks, particularly to Jewish and Asian communities.
Galliano said he understood that meaningful atonement could not be achieved through an exhibition or a single public gesture, describing it instead as an ongoing responsibility demonstrated through conduct over time. He also said he did not want the debate surrounding him to place the Met in a difficult position or distract from the work of the Costume Institute. (Vogue)
The planned exhibition was to feature garments, accessories, sketches, toiles, research books and archival material spanning Galliano’s career. It was structured around three sections examining his early career and controversy, his creative inspirations, and his design process. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
The Met’s Max Hollein said that, following discussions with Galliano and other stakeholders, he agreed that this was not the right time for the exhibition. Anna Wintour also expressed support for Galliano’s decision and called it a courageous one. (Vogue)
The retrospective would have made Galliano only the third living designer to receive a major dedicated exhibition at the Costume Institute, following Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo in 2017. (British Vogue)
The Met has said that details of a new Spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and the 2027 Met Gala will be announced at a later date. (Vogue)
Ayerhs Magazine 