John Galliano Withdraws From Met Exhibition After Backlash Over Racist Comments
The British fashion designer was convicted of a hate crime in 2011 for anti-Asian and antisemitic remarks.
The British fashion designer John Galliano has withdrawn his upcoming exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, set to run concurrently with the 2027 Met Gala, after intense criticism of his past racist behavior.
A French court convicted Galliano of antisemitic and anti-Asian hate speech directed at a French couple in February 2011, and a barrage of antisemitic slurs against a woman in October of the same year. He was fined a total of €6,000 ($6,962). A video of Galliano declaring “I love Hitler” was also circulated by the British tabloid, The Sun, leading to Dior firing the designer from his post as creative director in March 2011.
When The Met announced the Costume Institute exhibition John Galliano: Horizons in July, backlash resurfaced around the designer, who previously held positions at other major haute couture houses including Givenchy and Maison Margiela. Alice Tisch, a major Met donor, and New York politician Brad Lander were among those who called for the museum to scrap the exhibition.
“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 this morning, August 31.
