The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will dedicate its next major fashion exhibition to the work of designer John Galliano, the museum announced Friday. The exhibit, titled "John Galliano: Horizons," is slated to run from May 9, 2027, to January 9, 2028, and will coincide with the annual Met Gala.
The exhibition will confront Galliano's controversial past alongside his creative achievements. Galliano, formerly the creative director at Christian Dior, was dismissed in 2011 following public dissemination of antisemitic and racist remarks made in 2010 and 2011. He was subsequently convicted in a Paris court for public insults based on race, religion, ethnicity, or origin.
"Alongside Galliano’s extraordinary creative accomplishments, the exhibition will address the derogatory conduct that fundamentally altered his career and public reception," the museum stated. "In doing so, the exhibition will consider how artistic achievement should be understood alongside ethical accountability."
Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute's curator, noted that the show will explore "how Galliano has remapped the world through fashion and how his conduct, its consequences, and changing cultural values have reshaped our understanding of his work."
The exhibition is structured into three parts. The first section, "Bearings," will directly address the impact of his conduct in 2010 and 2011, his dismissal from Dior and his own label, his treatment for substance addiction, and his public acknowledgment of his actions. The second part, "Horizons," will explore his sources of inspiration, while the third, "Atlas of Transformation," will focus on his creativity, craftsmanship, and technical innovation.
Galliano made a career comeback in 2014 when he joined Maison Margiela, where he worked for a decade. He will be the third living designer to be the subject of a solo exhibition at the museum's Costume Institute.
Museum organizers consulted with Jewish community leaders in New York during the planning stages to gauge reactions to the exhibition's focus. These meetings included Bolton, Galliano, and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who oversees the Met Gala.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, commented on the planned show, stating, "We believe John Galliano has genuinely worked through the issues that led to his antisemitic outburst years ago in Paris, and we have long since accepted his apology. His efforts to repair the damage his words caused and to learn from that incident should be applauded."