*The Metropolitan Museum of Art spent months consulting Jewish leaders before deciding to place John Galliano at the center of its 2027 Met Gala exhibition.
The Costume Institute’s spring show, “John Galliano: Horizons,” will examine his influence on fashion without separating that work from the antisemitic and racist behavior that derailed his career in 2011, PEOPLE reports.
According to The New York Times, Galliano, Anna Wintour and Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton met with prominent rabbis and Jewish advocates over the past year. The discussions addressed the likely response to honoring the designer.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism in North America, said organizers understood that the exhibition could face more than ordinary skepticism. After speaking with Galliano, however, Jacobs described him as direct and remorseful.
Scroll to continue reading
“The word I come back to is ‘sincerity,’” Jacobs said, per Deadline. “He was open. He looked right at us and spoke in a clear way, not as if he had memorized talking points.”
Galliano was convicted of two hate crimes after several public outbursts, including a recorded incident in which he praised Adolf Hitler. He was fined the equivalent of about $8,500.
Bolton said “Horizons” will consider how Galliano transformed fashion while also examining how his actions changed the way his work is viewed.
“The exhibition therefore considers both how Galliano has remapped the world through fashion and how his conduct, its consequences, and changing cultural values have reshaped our understanding of his work,” Bolton said.
Wintour defended the decision, arguing that Galliano’s achievements at Givenchy, Dior, Maison Margiela and his own label warrant major recognition.
“He’s a great designer and his career isn’t defined by a moment,” she said, adding that the exhibition “won’t shy away from any of the darkness in John’s past.”
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said the organization has accepted Galliano’s apology and believes his efforts to address the harm deserve recognition.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Billy Porter Reveals He Has Not Been Invited Back to Met Gala Since 2019
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
Leave a Reply