The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has canceled its retrospective exhibition “John Galliano: Horizons” and the 2027 Met Gala held in conjunction with it. The decision is unprecedented in the history of the Costume Institute and was made under intense pressure from sponsors, politicians, and human rights organizations amid protests against the designer’s past anti-Semitic statements. The information was confirmed by The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Business of Fashion.

John Galliano himself announced the cancellation of the exhibition on his social media. He wrote that he made the decision “with profound sadness” after long discussions with the museum’s leadership.

I do not want the debate surrounding my person to put the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a difficult position or distract attention from the outstanding work of the Costume Institute,” John Galliano said.

He emphasized that he was mindful of the pain his past words caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and added that he has been sober for 15 years, but understands that redemption is not achieved through exhibitions.

Metropolitan Museum of Art director Max Hollein confirmed the decision was mutual. Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton acknowledged the exhibition’s unease and fully supported its cancellation, even though the show was originally planned as an in-depth exploration of the “rift” caused by the 2011 scandal when Galliano was fired from Dior for making anti-Semitic remarks.

Vogue editor-in-chief and Met Gala curator Anna Wintour, who has been friends with Galliano for years and tried to promote the exhibition—even preparing new Condé Nast spaces for it—called the designer’s move to withdraw “very courageous.” She said Galliano remains the greatest couturier of his generation, but agreed that in the current reality, cancellation is the right move.

A wave of criticism arose immediately after the announcement of the exhibition in late July, but the peak of outrage came in late August. According to The New York Times, major patrons of the museum were furious. Alice Tisch, a representative of an influential family of philanthropists and sponsors of the Met, openly spoke out against the exhibition. Several other key donors threatened to completely withdraw their planned multimillion-dollar donations, which would have jeopardized the financial foundation of the year’s premier fashion event. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, whose father survived the Holocaust, said that holding such an exhibition amid the global rise in anti-Semitism was a “punch in the gut.” Menin held a series of tough negotiations with museum leadership before welcoming the cancellation. New York State Assemblymember Micah Lasher joined her in emphasizing:

This is not a question of free speech, but of the appropriateness of the celebration.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has officially announced that the theme of the spring exhibition and the 2027 Met Gala itself will be completely changed. Management promises to unveil a new concept later. At the moment, the main fashion event of the year does not have an approved theme.