In 2026, the famous Met Gala in New York City was held under the dress code "Fashion is Art." Next year, the fashion event is set to honor designer John Galliano (65) - a decision that's already generating discussion.
Anna Wintour: The "dark sides" should not be ignored
The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is dedicating an exhibition to John Galliano from May 9, 2027 to January 9, 2028. "John Galliano: Horizons" will also provide the theme for the Met Gala, which will take place on May 3, 2027. The exact dress code has not yet been announced. In the announcement for the exhibition, Anna Wintour (76) explained, a trustee of the museum and Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast: "His work - at Dior, Givenchy, Margiela, his own label and others - brilliantly combines scholarship and creativity, darkness and light, past, present and future."
Galliano is "a great designer, and his career is not limited to one moment." She also emphasized in the statement: "The exhibition will not ignore the dark sides of John's past. They have shaped him. The show will illuminate his entire career and address all of it."
Preliminary talks with Jewish leaders in New York
That the choice is delicate was apparently clear to those responsible. According to the "New York Times," Wintour met in May with influential rabbis and Jewish leaders in the city to get their perspective on the planned gala. Galliano and curator Andrew Bolton also reportedly participated in the meetings.
Galliano is controversial because of anti-Semitic incidents in 2010 and 2011. A Paris court convicted him and fined him, and in the wake of the scandal he lost his job as chief designer at the fashion house Dior. The Brit later apologized, said he couldn't remember the evening, and talked about his alcohol and substance addiction. After treatment, he returned in 2014 as creative director of Maison Margiela. In 2024, he left the fashion company. Galliano has entered into a two-year creative partnership with Zara, with the first collection announced for September 2026.
Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism in North America, is among those willing to give the designer a second chance. He sensed his sincerity, he told the "New York Times": "He looked us directly in the eye and spoke clearly, not as if he had memorized talking points." Joshua Davidson, rabbi of Temple Emanu-El, insisted that the exhibition also address the consequences of Galliano's behavior. The show will still upset some: "People will very likely be angry about this. I can understand those feelings."
Anti-Defamation League holds the museum accountable
Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, stated that his organization had long since accepted Galliano's apology. But the timing matters, he emphasized to "Page Six," referring to a stabbing attack in late July: Anti-Semitism is increasing, Jewish New Yorkers don't feel heard by city leadership. "Now that the decision has been made, it's up to the Met and its partners not just to make symbolic gestures within a single exhibition, but to actively combat anti-Semitism - in the museum and throughout the fashion world they help shape."
On X, reactions were sharper, as "Page Six" reported. It's astonishing that Wintour wants to honor Galliano right now, one user reportedly wrote, referring to recent hate crimes in the city. Another called the designer a polarizing choice, a third stated briefly: "No. Just no."
The third living designer to receive a show
With the show, Galliano joins a small group. Before him, only Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons in 2017 received their own exhibition at the Costume Institute during their lifetime. Karl Lagerfeld and Alexander McQueen were only honored after their deaths. Galliano's designs have been present on the gala's red carpet for years: Kim Kardashian, for example, appeared in 2024 in a striking silver robe he had created for Maison Margiela.
