Controversial designer John Galliano is scheduled to receive an unvarnished retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York next May. This decision comes 15 years after he was convicted and fined by a French court in 2011 for making racist and antisemitic comments, which led to his dismissal from Dior.
The exhibition, titled 'John Galliano: Horizons', will be split into three parts and aims to reveal how Galliano transforms encounters into imaginative garments. According to a press release, it will address the derogatory conduct that fundamentally altered his career and public reception, considering how artistic achievement should be understood alongside ethical accountability.
The Met has reportedly held several meetings with Jewish leaders over the past year to discuss the event. In May, the Costume Institute’s head curator, Andrew Bolton, Vogue’s global editorial director, Anna Wintour, and Galliano attended a closed-door meeting with influential rabbis and Jewish leaders in New York City.
The exhibition will be launched by the annual Met Gala red carpet event. It will be only the third time the Met has dedicated a solo exhibition to a living designer.