Galliano drops Met Gala amid antisemitism backlash

British fashion designer John Galliano announced Monday that he was withdrawing from an exhibition dedicated to his work, scheduled for next year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York, following criticism from donors and political leaders over his past antisemitic remarks, AFP reports, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

“After careful consideration and after speaking with everyone involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it would be preferable for the exhibition not to go ahead for the time being,” the 65-year-old fashion designer wrote on his Instagram account.

“I continue to take full responsibility for the pain caused by my words in the past and for the harm I caused to Jewish and Asian communities, a fact that I deeply regret,” he added.

After lengthy discussions, Andrew Bolton, chief curator of the Costume Institute at the prestigious New York museum, said he supported the decision to cancel the project, acknowledging “the pain and concerns raised by this exhibition.”

Anna Wintour, a prominent figure in the fashion industry and a Met trustee, as well as a longtime associate of the British designer, praised the decision as “a very courageous one, which reflects the kind of person he is.”

Artistic director of Christian Dior from 1996 to 2011, John Galliano, regarded as one of the most brilliant designers of his generation, saw his career abruptly fall into decline after making antisemitic slurs against customers at a Paris bar.

He was convicted by a French court over the remarks.

Following rehabilitation and a lengthy process of personal education, carried out largely alongside priests and leaders of the Jewish community, Galliano found a professional refuge at the discreet but influential fashion house Maison Margiela, where he served as artistic director for 10 years, until 2024.

In his Instagram statement, he expressed “the deepest gratitude to everyone who has guided, supported and accompanied me throughout these past 15 years of sobriety and recovery from alcoholism and addiction.”

The exhibition dedicated to his artistic career was scheduled to run for nine months beginning in May 2027 at the Costume Institute, which is largely funded by the famous Met Gala, an annual event on the international fashion calendar held in New York.

Numerous Jewish community leaders, politicians and trustees of the New York museum considered the retrospective deeply inappropriate.

“At a time when antisemitism is rampant in our city, I believe honoring John Galliano would be a grave mistake,” said New York City Council President and Democrat Julie Menin.

Photo: Chat GPT