09/01/2026
Fashion’s biggest conversation just took an unexpected turn.
John Galliano and The Metropolitan Museum of Art have confirmed that “John Galliano: Horizons,” the Costume Institute exhibition planned for spring 2027, will no longer go ahead as planned. The retrospective was set to explore more than four decades of Galliano’s work, from his 1984 Central Saint Martins graduate collection through Givenchy, Dior and Maison Margiela.
The exhibition had already sparked significant debate because of Galliano’s past antisemitic, racist and anti-Asian remarks, which contributed to his dismissal from Dior and resulted in a 2011 conviction in France for public insults based on race, religion, ethnicity or origin. The Met had originally said the exhibition would confront that history alongside his creative achievements rather than ignore it.
Now, Galliano says the exhibition should not proceed, acknowledging the pain caused by his past words and stressing that meaningful atonement is an ongoing responsibility, rather than something achieved through institutional recognition. He also said he did not want the controversy surrounding him to put The Met in a difficult position or overshadow the Costume Institute.
The decision raises a much bigger question for fashion: Can extraordinary creative influence ever be separated from the actions of the person behind it - and what responsibility do cultural institutions have when deciding whose legacy to celebrate?
The Met says a new spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and details for the 2027 Met Gala will be announced at a later date.
What do you think… was cancelling the exhibition the right decision, or could the museum have used it as an opportunity to confront both Galliano’s brilliance and his deeply controversial past?