John Galliano has announced that the 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and Met Gala theme, originally conceived to honour his four-decade oeuvre, will no longer move forward.
The decision to cancel comes amid backlash surrounding Galliano’s involvement. While his work remains deeply revered within the fashion industry, and there is little question of his stature as a master aesthete, his legacy is marred by years of controversy and the enduring repercussions of his past conduct.
In a statement shared to Instagram, Galliano wrote:
“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. I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry for it. 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.”
The exhibition was intended to trace the full arc of Galliano’s extraordinary career, from his landmark Central Saint Martin’s graduate collection in 1984 to his most recent chapter at Margiela. In its conception, it promised not simply a celebration of Galliano’s vision, but a nuanced examination of his influence, contradictions and complexities that have come to define his legacy.
With the exhibition withdrawn, the question now is what will be of the 2027 Met Gala? We unpack what will happen from here.
Is The 2027 Met Gala Cancelled?
Although the exhibition John Galliano: Horizons, previously scheduled to open in May 2027, “will not proceed as planned,” the Met Gala itself will still go ahead, with an entirely new theme taking its place.
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Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge of The Met’s Costume Institute said in a statment: “I believe deeply in the responsibility of museums to examine difficult histories with rigor, candour, and care. I also recognise the pain and concern this exhibition has caused. After extensive discussion, I support the decision not to proceed. I remain deeply grateful to my colleagues and to the advisors, lenders, collaborators, and community leaders who contributed their knowledge, trust, and perspectives to the project.”
Why Did John Galliano Withdraw From The 2027 Met Gala?
The announcement of John Galliano: Horizons, as both the Met Gala theme and its accompanying exhibition was met with criticism. Only twice before has the museum dedicated a major exhibition to a living designer: Yves Saint Laurent in 1983, followed by Rei Kawakubo in 2017. Given Galliano’s past, which is punctuated by a plethora of controversies, many questioned whether it was appropriate for him to be the Met Gala honouree.
The museum had promised to reckon with Galliano’s controversial past, most notably the series of antisemitic and anti-Asian tirades that unfolded in Paris in 2011.
One such occurrence, in which Galliano stated “I love Hitler,” was captured on camera. After the video surfaced, Dior fired him, ending his 15 year tenure as creative director. Six months later, he was convicted of hate crimes by a French court.
Julie Menin, Speaker of the New York City Council, became the first local politician to publicly oppose the planned Galliano exhibition, sending a letter to Met leadership last week.
In an interview on Sunday, Menin called Galliano’s since-cancelled exhibition “a gut punch to the Jewish community in our city, who are already reeling.” Speaking to People she added, “I had productive conversations with Andrew Bolton and with Anna Wintour, and with Met officials and Met board members. And in all the conversations, I made this strong case that this was a mistake, that they should reverse course, that this had wide-ranging reverberations, because it’s basically condoning and elevating someone with a history of these remarks.”
According to The New York Times, other critics included Alice Tisch, a major donor to the Met museum. On Friday, she reportedly sent an email to Max Hollein, the museum’s director and CEO.
“This exhibit bespeaks a failure of governance,” Tisch wrote.
She added, “It is not in the museum’s interest to have this perception out there, and it flies in the face of your rich curatorial history and ongoing fiscal and moral leadership.”
As part of his statement, Galliano wrote “I do not want the debate surrounding me to place The Met in a difficult position or to distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute. I also recognise and respect that an exhibition honouring my work would be painful for some.”
Will Another Theme Be Announced?
According to a statement on The Met’s website, “Information on a new spring Costume Institute exhibition and the 2027 Met Gala will be announced at a later date.”
For now, then, the plans for 2027 remain under wraps. This year’s theme, “Costume Art,” was announced on November 17, 2025, suggesting the museum still has some time before it would ordinarily unveil its plans for the year ahead.
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