Controversial British designer John Galliano will not be the focus of the exhibition that was scheduled to be held in conjunction with the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, after the museum announced the cancellation of the exhibition in light of mounting controversy and criticism over the decision to honor the designer.
The decision comes after a growing wave of anger over the choice of the museum and Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of Vogue, to celebrate Galliano during the Met Gala.
Galliano was dismissed from his position at Dior in 2011, and was convicted of “public insults” on the basis of origin, religion, race or ethnicity, after video recordings spread in which he appeared making pro-Hitler statements and directing anti-Semitic abuse during an argument in a Paris cafe.
The controversy was not limited to the designer's past, as next year's Met Gala, which is traditionally held on the first Monday in May, was scheduled to coincide with Yom Hashoah, the day of remembrance for the victims of the Nazi Holocaust.
Galliano said in a statement: “After much thought and discussion with all concerned, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best not to hold the exhibition at the present time.”
He added: “I take full responsibility for the pain my words have caused in the past, especially the harm I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I still feel deep regret for that.”
Galliano also made clear that he did not want the controversy to put the Metropolitan Museum in a difficult position, or to distract from the exceptional work of the museum's Costume Institute.
Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, said in a statement issued by the museum that he recognizes the pain and anxiety this exhibition has caused and supports the decision not to go ahead with it.
For her part, Wintour, who also holds the position of chief content officer at Condé Nast and has led the organization of the Met Gala since 1995, described Galliano's decision to withdraw from the show as "an extremely courageous step, and reflects the truth of his character."
The exhibition was scheduled to address the issue of how to view artistic achievement in the context of moral accountability, according to a press release the museum issued announcing the exhibition a few weeks ago.
However, the decision sparked a widespread wave of anger, especially outside the fashion industry, while the New York Times reported that the museum's trustees and members of its board of directors were rushing to contain the damage and control the repercussions of the controversy, before announcing the exhibition's cancellation on Monday.
Galliano, whose designs have gained almost legendary status within the fashion industry and who is famous for his theatrical style and remarkable precision in detail, was expected to become the third living fashion designer to receive a retrospective exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum, after Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons, in 2017, and French designer Yves Saint Laurent in 1983.
Dana Thomas, author of the 2015 biography of Galliano and Alexander McQueen entitled 'Gods and Kings', considered that Galliano's eligibility for honor as a person was 'questionable', but stressed that he 'certainly' deserved it as a designer, noting the professional risk that Andrew Bolton took in organizing the exhibition.
