The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City announced Monday that a show set to honor British designer John Galliano next year would no longer go forward as backlash grew over the 65-year-old’s past anti-Jewish and anti-Asian remarks.Galliano’s work was set to be exhibited at next year’s Costume Institute spring show, which is launched by the Met Gala every May.
But museum director Max Hollein announced that the institution and Galliano decided together not to proceed as anger grew over Galliano’s history of discriminatory remarks.In 2011, Galliano was convicted of antisemitic abuse in France after berating a couple at a cafe in Paris.
Galliano blamed the behavior on substance abuse, saying he was addicted to to alcohol, barbiturates and sleeping pills.He testified in court that he had no recollection of the antisemitic verbal abuse.
Amid the uproar of the trial, video of another rant surfaced, showing Galliano telling patrons at a cafe that he loved Adolf Hitler and that their family would have been “gassed.”The incident brought to light other episodes from Galliano.The New Yorker reported in 2011 that patrons of a Parisian bar recalled at least three unprovoked rants from Galliano that targeted Jewish and Asian communities.
Add to GoogleFashion icon blames drugs for racist outburst01:29The designer was fired from Dior, where he’d worked since the mid-90s, just before Paris Fashion Week that year and condemned his remarks.Galliano was ordered to pay a fine by the court.
Two years later he was brought in as a designer “in residence” at Oscar de la Renta.He was later hired as creative director for Maison Margiela until leaving for a collaboration with Spanish retail store Zara in 2024.New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin called on the Met to reconsider the exhibition after it was announced last week.
She posted a letter dated Wednesday to the museum saying that Galliano has not reached the higher standard that comes with such a “tr...