The planned 2027 Met Gala exhibition honoring John Galliano has been canceled following weeks of backlash over the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s decision to spotlight the controversial British designer. The Met and Galliano announced Monday that the Spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition will not proceed, with the designer saying he made the decision after “much reflection and discussion” with the museum and those involved.
The cancellation comes just weeks after the Met announced the retrospective, which was set to examine Galliano’s four-decade career through garments, accessories, sketches, toiles, research books and archival material. The exhibition would have also served as the creative foundation for the 2027 Met Gala, traditionally held on the first Monday in May.
The decision has now left next year’s gala without an announced theme or corresponding Costume Institute exhibition.
John Galliano Withdraws From the Met Exhibition
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In a statement released Monday, John Galliano said he had decided that it was “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,” Galliano said.
The designer also acknowledged that meaningful accountability cannot be achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition or a single public gesture. He said he did not want the controversy surrounding him to put the Met in a difficult position or distract from the work of its Costume Institute.
Galliano’s decision follows mounting criticism of the museum’s plans to honor him more than 15 years after his career was dramatically disrupted by his antisemitic and racist remarks.
Why the Exhibition Faced Backlash
The museum and the designer announced that the fashion events honoring Galliano, who was convicted of a crime in France after public antisemitic remarks, would no longer take place. https://t.co/baH5ASOWQC
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 31, 2026
Galliano’s proposed retrospective immediately reopened discussion about his 2011 scandal.
That year, videos surfaced of the designer making antisemitic remarks, including the infamous statement “I love Hitler,” during an incident at a Paris café. He was subsequently dismissed from Dior and his own label and was found guilty by a French court of public insults based on origin, religion, race or ethnicity.
Although Galliano later apologized and has spoken publicly about his recovery from alcoholism and addiction, his past comments have remained a deeply sensitive part of his legacy.
The timing of the proposed exhibition also drew particular scrutiny because the first Monday of May in 2027 falls on Yom HaShoah, the annual day of Holocaust remembrance.
The controversy reportedly grew beyond the fashion industry, with critics questioning whether the Met’s decision amounted to an inappropriate celebration of a designer whose past conduct had caused significant harm.
The Met Supports the Decision
The museum said it had reached the decision together with Galliano after discussions about the situation.
“Following thoughtful discussions with John Galliano, we have together decided not to proceed with the exhibition,” Metropolitan Museum of Art director and CEO Max Hollein said in a statement.
Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s curator, also expressed support for the decision, acknowledging the “pain and concern” the exhibition had caused.
Anna Wintour, who has overseen the Met Gala for decades and supported the original Galliano exhibition, also backed the withdrawal.
“John’s decision to ask the Museum to postpone the exhibition devoted to his work is very courageous and a measure of the man he is,” Wintour said, adding that she believed it was the right decision.
Wintour nevertheless praised Galliano’s creative legacy, pointing to his exceptional craftsmanship, cutting, use of color and ability to combine fashion with storytelling.
Galliano Would Have Made Met History
The planned exhibition would have been significant beyond its controversy.
Galliano was set to become only the third living fashion designer to receive a solo retrospective at the Costume Institute. Yves Saint Laurent was the first in 1983, followed by Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons in 2017.
The proposed exhibition was expected to trace Galliano’s career from his 1984 Central Saint Martins graduate collection, “Les Incroyables,” through his work at Givenchy and Dior and ultimately his celebrated period at Maison Margiela.
Few designers have had a comparable influence on fashion’s theatrical side. Galliano’s shows are known for their elaborate narratives, historical references and extraordinary attention to construction and detail, making the proposed retrospective one of the most anticipated fashion exhibitions of 2027.
What Happens to the 2027 Met Gala?
With the Galliano exhibition canceled, the future theme of the 2027 Met Gala remains unknown.
The original retrospective was scheduled to run from May 9, 2027, through January 9, 2028. The Met has not yet announced what exhibition will replace it, nor has it confirmed whether the gala will proceed on its traditional first-Monday-of-May schedule.
A museum statement said information about a new Spring Costume Institute exhibition and the 2027 Met Gala will be announced at a later date.
For now, the cancellation marks a dramatic reversal for John Galliano, whose extraordinary influence on modern fashion had been set to receive one of the industry’s highest institutional honors. Instead, the controversy surrounding his past has once again become inseparable from any public celebration of his work.
Featured image: Szilveszter Makó for Zara
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