Met Cancels Galliano Show, Unveils New Exhibition
The Metropolitan Museum of Art dropped a planned John Galliano tribute after objections from New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and others.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Fashion
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art canceled its "John Galliano: Horizons" exhibition on August 31 following criticism from New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and the Anti-Defamation League. The museum announced its 2027 Costume Institute exhibition, "extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday," in its place.
Why it matters
Galliano's record of antisemitic, racist and anti-Asian remarks was cited by critics as grounds for opposing a museum tribute to him. The episode shows how public objections can reshape high-profile cultural programming in New York City.
Galliano received a suspended fine of 6,000 euros (about $8,400 at the time) and no prison sentence after a French court convicted him in September 2011 of public insults based on religion, race or ethnicity. The stub does not state how the museum will address this record in its new exhibition.
The players
Julie Menin
Julie Menin is the Speaker of the New York City Council and its first Jewish speaker, who led opposition to the planned Galliano exhibition.
Jonathan Greenblatt
Jonathan Greenblatt is the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights organization that called the planned exhibition misguided.
John Galliano
John Galliano is a British fashion designer who was fired by Christian Dior in 2011 and later apologized, attributing his behavior to alcoholism and drug addiction.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a major New York City museum whose Costume Institute organizes the annual Met Gala exhibitions.
The details
Christian Dior fired Galliano in 2011 after antisemitic and racist videos surfaced, and a French court later convicted him of public insults. Julie Menin, the first Jewish speaker of the New York City Council, sent an August 28 letter to Met leadership calling the planned exhibition a "serious mistake," and Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, called it "misguided."
Timeline
2011: Christian Dior fires Galliano after antisemitic and racist videos surface.
September 2011: A French court convicts Galliano of public insults based on religion, race or ethnicity.
August 28: Menin sends a letter to Met leadership opposing the Galliano exhibition.
August 31: The Met cancels "John Galliano: Horizons."
May 3, 2027: The new exhibition is unveiled at the 2027 Met Gala.
Season Trajectory
The cancellation follows Christian Dior's 2011 firing of John Galliano after antisemitic and racist videos surfaced, and it shows institutions reconsidering whether to honor designers tied to that record. The shift matters for how fashion museums program tributes ahead of the Met Gala calendar.
New York City visitors can see the new Costume Institute exhibition when it opens alongside the 2027 Met Gala on May 3, 2027. The canceled Galliano show will not be on view.
The takeaway
Institutions planning tributes to designers with documented records of bigotry may face public pushback before opening day. Readers planning New York visits around the 2027 Met Gala should check the museum's announcements for the new exhibition's details.
What happens next
The new exhibition "extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday" will be unveiled in conjunction with the 2027 Met Gala on May 3, 2027.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Fashion in New York City.
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Should museums honor fashion designers who have made antisemitic or racist remarks?
