The theme for the 2027 Met Gala will be John Galliano: Horizons, a tribute to the fashion designer whose work has been celebrated and scrutinized. Vogue editor Anna Wintour announced the theme, stating that the exhibition would address the "darkness in John's past" while exploring the full arc of his career.
Galliano, 65, rose to prominence in the 1990s as a celebrated designer for Givenchy and Dior, enjoying significant support from Wintour. His career trajectory shifted dramatically in December 2010 when he was filmed making antisemitic remarks while intoxicated. He was heard saying, "I love Hitler" and that the women he was speaking to, whom he mistakenly believed to be Jewish, "would be fing gassed and fing dead."
Following the release of the video, Galliano was dismissed from his role at Dior and his own eponymous brand. He was convicted in France for making racist and antisemitic remarks, leading to the rescission of his Legion of Honor. His publicist at the time denied allegations of antisemitism, attributing his behavior to alcohol and the pressure of his career.
Galliano's path to recovery and a return to the fashion industry began in 2011 when Kate Moss enlisted him to design her wedding dress. He described the experience as "creative rehab," and Moss later defended him, stating he was not a bad person but struggled with alcohol. He subsequently returned to fashion in 2014 as the chief designer for Maison Margiela, a position he held for a decade.
In 2023, a documentary about his life, "High & Low," brought renewed attention to his complex legacy. Wintour emphasized that Galliano's career should not be defined by a single incident, noting that the exhibition would grapple with the entirety of his work and personal history. Galliano becomes the third living designer to be the subject of a Met Gala exhibition, following Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo in 2017.