Met Museum Cancels John Galliano Exhibit Amid Antisemitism Backlash

POLICY WIRE — New York, USA — The Metropolitan Museum of Art has decided to scrap its upcoming exhibit dedicated to British fashion designer John Galliano. This decision comes after significant opposition from the Jewish community and others, stemming from Galliano’s previous antisemitic and racist remarks.

The museum announced on Monday that the exhibit, originally scheduled as the May 2027 spring Costume Institute show to kick off the annual Met Gala, will be substituted with a different exhibition, details of which will be revealed at a later date.

Max Hollein, the museum’s director and CEO, stated in a press release, After careful deliberations with John Galliano, we have mutually agreed not to move forward with the exhibition. Galliano echoed this sentiment, expressing, After considerable contemplation and dialogue with The Met and all parties concerned, I have concluded, with profound regret, that it is most appropriate for the exhibition not to proceed at this juncture. I continue to hold myself fully responsible for the distress caused by my past words, especially the anguish I inflicted upon the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain profoundly sorry for it.

Galliano, celebrated for his extravagant designs, held a prominent position in the fashion industry as the creative director of Christian Dior. However, he was dismissed from this role following the emergence and widespread circulation of a series of racist and antisemitic comments he made in 2010 and 2011, culminating in his conviction in an antisemitism trial in France.

After being let go by Dior, Galliano undertook various public and private initiatives to restore his reputation. He resurfaced in the fashion world in 2014 when he was engaged by Paris-based fashion house Maison Margiela, where he stayed for a decade.

This exhibit would have marked only the third time a living designer was featured in a solo show at the Met’s Costume Institute. The spring season at the museum is inaugurated by the annual Met Gala, a highly visible event in the fashion calendar, overseen by Anna Wintour, Vogue’s global editorial director and a significant figure in the global fashion scene. Wintour has been a long-standing friend and advocate of Galliano.

Prior to the announcement of the show, the museum had engaged in discussions with leaders of the Jewish community, aiming to mitigate the expected backlash. However, the criticism only intensified. One of the vocal opponents of the planned exhibit was New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who issued a statement on Monday commending the decision to cancel.

Menin stated, Following my extensive and prolonged meetings and conversations with The Met, I am gratified that they have consented to not honor John Galliano. From the outset, I have conveyed to them my strong disagreement with this decision, and in this era of escalating antisemitism, it has dealt a severe blow to the Jewish community. This is the right decision, as the harm and suffering this was inflicting were simply intolerable.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)