Overview
- The Met and John Galliano jointly decided on Monday that the planned 2027 Costume Institute retrospective would not proceed, and Galliano issued a public apology saying he did not want the debate to distract the museum.
- The reversal followed renewed public criticism of Galliano’s 2010–11 antisemitic and racist outbursts and his 2011 conviction in France for public insults based on religion, race and ethnicity.
- Major donors, some trustees and New York officials pressured the museum by warning they might withdraw financial support, and the original May gala date also overlapped with Yom HaShoah, increasing public sensitivity.
- Met leadership including director Max Hollein, curator Andrew Bolton and Met Gala chair Anna Wintour backed the decision, and some Jewish leaders who had met Galliano earlier were divided over whether institutional honor was appropriate.
- The Met said it will announce a new spring 2027 exhibition and Met Gala plans later, a choice that highlights how donor influence and political scrutiny can shape museum programming and raises questions about when institutional recognition is appropriate.