Metropolitan Museum Cancels Show Honoring John Galliano

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City announced that it will no longer proceed with the planned show honoring British designer John Galliano. This decision comes amid growing backlash over Galliano’s past anti-Jewish and anti-Asian remarks.

Originally, Galliano’s work was set to be featured at the Costume Institute’s spring show next year, coinciding with the Met Gala in May. However, the museum director, Max Hollein, explained that the institution and Galliano agreed to cancel the exhibition as public anger over Galliano’s history intensified.

In 2011, Galliano faced conviction in France for antisemitic abuse after he verbally attacked a couple in a Paris café. He attributed his behavior to substance abuse, claiming addiction to alcohol, barbiturates, and sleeping pills. During the trial, Galliano testified that he had no memory of the antisemitic outburst.

The trial’s media coverage also revealed a video of Galliano declaring admiration for Adolf Hitler and making other offensive comments. The New Yorker reported on additional incidents of unprovoked rants from Galliano, targeting Jewish and Asian communities.

The controversy led to his dismissal from Dior, where he was employed since the mid-90s, right before Paris Fashion Week in 2011. The court ordered Galliano to pay a fine. Subsequently, he worked at Oscar de la Renta as a designer “in residence,” and later served as creative director for Maison Margiela before a planned collaboration with Zara in 2024.

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin urged the Met to reconsider the exhibition. In her letter to the museum, Menin stated that Galliano had not met the standards expected for such a prestigious honor. She emphasized the museum’s influential role and her disappointment with the planned tribute.

Menin referred to Galliano’s conviction, the offensive video, and a recent allegation from fashion publicist Lauren London. London claimed that Galliano repeatedly shouted “Merry Christmas” at her friend during a phone call in Hebrew at a spa in Italy. Her friend, Sabine Cimber Goldberg, verified the incident.

Galliano expressed remorse in a statement shared by the Met, apologizing to Jewish and Asian communities. He acknowledged that true atonement involves long-term efforts of listening and learning.

Andrew Bolton, a curator at The Met’s Costume Institute, supported the exhibition’s cancellation, recognizing the pain caused. Anna Wintour, the longtime Met Gala chair, concurred with the decision, while also praising Galliano for his choice to withdraw.

Menin, writing on X, expressed satisfaction with the decision, citing her background as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. She felt a strong duty to speak out as the first Jewish speaker of the New York City Council.