The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has cancelled a major retrospective dedicated to British fashion designer John Galliano, following sustained criticism over his 2011 conviction for making antisemitic and racist remarks. The exhibition, titled John Galliano: Horizons, had been scheduled to open in May 2027 and was set to serve as the theme for the annual Met Gala — one of the fashion world's most high-profile events.

Galliano announced the cancellation in a statement, saying: "After much reflection and discussion with the Met and all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time." He acknowledged that "an exhibition honouring my work would be painful for some" and added: "I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry for it." He also noted his "15 years of sobriety and recovery from alcoholism and addiction," reiterating the explanation he first offered in 2011, when his lawyer attributed his behaviour to work-related stress and multiple addictions.

The backlash against the planned exhibition had been building since its announcement in late July. Critics included local politicians, journalists, and members of the Jewish community, while multiple donors to the Met were reported to have threatened to withdraw their contributions. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin said she had held repeated conversations with the museum opposing the decision, calling the original plan "a gut punch to the Jewish community" at "a rising time of antisemitism." Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League — an organisation that monitors and combats antisemitism — described the decision to honour Galliano as "misguided" and said that "even Galliano ultimately recognised what the Met should have done from the start."

The timing of the planned Met Gala added further sensitivity to the controversy. The event was scheduled for 3 May, which coincides with Yom HaShoah, the annual Jewish day of Holocaust and heroism remembrance. Anna Wintour, Vogue's global editorial director and a long-standing organiser of the Met Gala since the 1990s, expressed her support for Galliano's decision, calling it "very courageous and a measure of the man he is."

Galliano is widely regarded as one of the most talented fashion designers of his generation, known for his theatrical, technically demanding creations during his years as creative director of Christian Dior. After his dismissal and conviction in 2011, he engaged in dialogue with Jewish organisations, and later staged a professional comeback, serving as creative director of Maison Margiela for a decade until 2024. He would have been only the third living designer ever to receive a solo retrospective at the Met. The museum said it would announce an alternative theme for its fashion exhibition at a later date.