John Galliano withdraws from planned Met Costume Institute exhibition
Designer John Galliano announced on Instagram that the Met exhibition honoring him would not go ahead, after backlash over his past remarks.
This summary was written by AI to complete the context; it is not based on a current source.
On 31 August 2026, British designer John Galliano announced on Instagram that a planned exhibition about his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York would not take place. The show, titled "John Galliano: Horizons", was due to open in May 2027 at the museum's Costume Institute, its fashion department.
The exhibition would have made Galliano only the third living designer to receive a solo show there, after Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo. It was also meant to inspire the theme of the 2027 Met Gala, the museum's annual fashion fundraiser.
The plan drew strong criticism because of Galliano's past antisemitic, racist and anti-Asian remarks, which cost him his job at Dior in 2011. Critics objected to the museum honoring him. Galliano said the show should not proceed at this time. Museum director Max Hollein said the decision was reached together with the designer.
The Met said it would announce a replacement exhibition and the details of the 2027 Gala later.
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