Met Gala exhibition honoring John Galliano is cancelled after backlash

Fashion designer was convicted of hate crime by French court in 2011 after series of racist and antisemitic remarks

The controversial fashion designer John Galliano announced on Monday that an exhibition honoring his work that New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art had scheduled to open for the upcoming spring’s Met Gala is not going to go forward.

The museum’s decision to honor Galliano, who was convicted of a hate crime by a French court in 2011 after a series of racist and antisemitic remarks , had drawn controversy and backlash.

“After much reflection and discussion with all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time,” Galliano wrote in a statement posted on Instagram on Monday morning.

The exhibition, titled John Galliano: Horizons , was announced in early August and was set to have been kicked off by the annual Met Gala.

In his statement on Monday saying that the exhibition was off, Galliano wrote: “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.

“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.”

He also wrote: “I do not want the debate surrounding me to place the Met in a difficult position or distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute. I also recognize and respect that an exhibition honoring my work would be painful for some.”

In a separate statement on Monday, the Metropolitan Museum of Art director and chief executive officer, Max Hollein, said: “Following thoughtful discussions with John Galliano, we have together decided not to proceed with the exhibition.”

The Met trustee Anna Wintour added : “John’s decision that the exhibition devoted to his work should not take place at this time is very courageous and a measure of the man he is.

“I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the museum have my full support.”

The New York Times had reported on Friday that opposition to the museum’s plans with respect to Galliano had grown in recent days among Jewish leaders in New York City and beyond. The newspaper also reported that some donors had contacted Met executives and threatened to withdraw gifts to the museum if the exhibition went ahead as planned.

The New York City council speaker, Julie Menin, also sent a letter to the Met leadership, calling the museum’s decision to honor Galliano “a mistake”. Menin also urged the institution to reconsider.

On Monday, Menin wrote on social media: “Museums such as The Met must be held to a high standard of inclusiveness and tolerance, and I am pleased that they have listened to the concerns I have raised and reacted with the right decision.”

Menin also described herself as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and the first Jewish speaker of the New York City council, saying, “This decision was personal to me, and the Jewish community and I felt a strong obligation to speak out.”

The New York Times reported that the Met’s board of trustees had been scheduled to gather on Monday morning to discuss the exhibition.

The museum said on Monday that details about “a new spring Costume Institute exhibition and the 2027 Met Gala will be announced at a later date”.

The remarks which resulted in Galliano’s hate crime conviction in France also led to his being fired as creative director of the famous fashion brand Christian Dior.