Met Gala’s 2027 John Galliano theme cancelled after backlash

Fashion designer John Galliano has pulled out of the 2027 Met Gala exhibit (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images) The 2027 Met Gala has already hit a bump in the road following the decision to no longer honour John Galliano. British fashion designer Galliano, 65, was due to become only the third-ever person to receive a retrospective exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, following Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo. His exhibit, titled John Galliano: Horizons, was announced last month, with confirmation following that the accompanying Met Gala theme would pay tribute to him, too. However, his selection proved to be controversial due to antisemitic and racist comments he made in 2010 and 2011, which went viral and resulted in a court case. Now, Galliano has issued a joint statement with The Met, announcing his withdrawal and expressing gratitude to Met director Max Hollein, Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, and former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. He wrote on Instagram: ‘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.’ ‘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 for it,’ he added. ‘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.’ In a statement responding to the development, Wintour said she supported the choice to ‘postpone’ the exhibit, calling Galliano ‘courageous’. ‘I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the museum have my full support,’ she said. ‘His soaring imagination, fed by a lifetime of curiosity and research, is matched by his exceptional craft. Cut, fit, the evocative line of a bias-cut dress, colour — he’s a master of it all.’ Plans for a new spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition are yet to be announced. Galliano was fired from Dior after being antisemitic (Picture: AP Photo/Jacques Brinon) Details regarding next year’s Met Gala – which takes place on the first Monday in May – are also currently unconfirmed. The 2026 theme was Costume Art, with Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams serving as co-chairs. Why is John Galliano controversial? Galliano is a notoriously contentious figure in the fashion world. In 2011, he was dismissed from his creative director position at Dior after footage of a drunken Galliano making antisemitic remarks emerged. The first incident came in October 2010, and the second was in February 2011 at La Perle café in Paris. Galliano with Kim Kardashian at the 2024 Met Gala (Picture: Kevin Mazur/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue) Galliano was accused of using discriminatory language towards museum curator Geraldine Bloch about being Jewish in the February matter. He was also filmed insulting her friend, who is of South Asian origin, for 45 minutes before police intervened. A third incident involved him declaring ‘I love Hitler’ while intoxicated. The videos circulated online before Paris Fashion Week in autumn. While he initially denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit, after being fired, Galliano stood trial and was found guilty of public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity. His lawyer had argued that his ‘outbursts’ were due to ‘work-related stress and multiple addictions’, while Galliano himself said his mental state was suffering following the death of his friend, Steven Robinson. Galliano received suspended fines totalling €6,000. He was also publicly condemned by famous figures, such as a ‘deeply shocked’ Natalie Portman, who said that, ‘as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, [she] will not be associated with Mr Galliano in any way’. After being sacked from Dior, Galliano took on a creative director role at Margiela. He stepped down in 2024 after a decade. Deals of the Day The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 A friend said I looked 'snatched' – I credit this new Charlotte Tilbury powder Shop MySweetSmile's biggest Bank Holiday offers before they end Back-to-school shopping just got a lot cheaper thanks to Primark The back-to-school essential parents forget every year – and it could cost them In March this year, he announced a two-year creative partnership with Zara. Arrow MORE: Dolly Parton on course for ‘huge’ milestone days after death Arrow MORE: Bill Maher faces backlash over ‘bitter’ Dolly Parton tribute joke Arrow MORE: Busy Philipps, 47, shares intensive care pics after two secret brain tumour surgeries