The 2027 Met Gala will no longer honor John Galliano following mounting backlash against an exhibit dedicated to the controversial British designer.
Galliano, 65, announced in an Instagram statement Monday that he was pulling out of the iconic New York City event. “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,” he wrote.
He continued: “I do not want the debate surrounding me to place the Met in a difficult position or to distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute. I also recognise and respect that an exhibition honouring my work would be painful for some.”
The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced last month that the annual event would be titled “John Galliano: Horizon,” prompting immediate criticism over the decision to platform the designer after antisemitic and racist remarks he made in 2011.
Galliano added: “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 said.
Galliano was convicted of a hate crime by a French court in 2011 after video captured him berating a French couple with antisemitic and anti-Asian language.
He was then effectively exiled from the industry as he was fired from Christian Dior and his own label over the scandal.
The designer said at the time that he did not remember making the remarks because he had been under the influence of alcohol, barbiturates and sleeping pills, but still apologized for “the sadness that this whole affair has caused.”
In his statement Monday, Galliano thanked those who have “guided, supported and accompanied” him throughout his last 15 years of “sobriety and recovery from alcoholism and addiction.”
The Met exhibit was initially slated to address the “rupture caused by his antisemitic, racist and anti-Asian conduct in 2010 and 2011,” but now will not take place.
Anna Wintour said in a statement Monday: “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 museum has not announced a replacement theme for the Galliano exhibit. The gala, which famously opens on the first Monday in May, was set to run from May 9, 2027, to January 9, 2028.
It is unclear if the exhibit will be delayed.
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