Met's 2027 exhibition to celebrate designer John Galliano
What's the story
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced that its spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition will be dedicated to British fashion designer John Galliano. Titled John Galliano: Horizons, the show will celebrate his influence on fashion and address the controversies that have shaped his career. This makes him only the third living designer to have a solo exhibition at The Met, after Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons in 2017, reported Deadline.
Career retrospective
First major museum retrospective on Galliano's career
The exhibition will be the first major museum retrospective to explore Galliano's four-decade career.
It will feature garments, accessories, sketches, research books, archival materials, and toiles from his 1984 Central Saint Martins graduation collection through his tenures at Givenchy, Christian Dior, and Maison Margiela.
The show will also include his Spring/Summer 2024 Maison Margiela Artisanal collection, which has been hailed as one of the defining couture presentations of the decade.
Controversial legacy
Exhibition will also address designer's controversies
The exhibition will also address the racist, antisemitic, and anti-Asian remarks that led to Galliano's dismissal from Christian Dior and his namesake label in 2011.
It will explore the relationship between artistic achievement and ethical accountability, rather than a traditional narrative of downfall and redemption, said the organizers.
"John Galliano has exerted profound influence on fashion...his work brings historical inquiry, artistic imagination...and technical experimentation into dynamic relation," said Max Hollein, The Met's Marina Kellen French Director and CEO.
Thematic structure
Exhibition will be divided into 3 thematic sections
The exhibition will be divided into three thematic sections.
The first section, Bearings, will provide a chronological overview of Galliano's career while addressing the events surrounding his controversial conduct and dismissal from Dior.
The second section, Horizons, will delve into the designer's enduring inspirations from history and geography to art, performance, and storytelling.
The final section, Atlas of Transformation, will offer an unprecedented look inside Galliano's creative process through original research books, sketches, fittings, toiles, and finished garments.
Gala highlight
'John Galliano: Horizons' will be centerpiece of the Met Gala
As per tradition, John Galliano: Horizons will be the centerpiece of the 2027 Met Gala. The gala will see fashion's biggest names interpreting the exhibition's themes on the museum's steps.
The official dress code, co-chairs, and host committee for the gala will be announced later.
The show will run at The Met Fifth Avenue from May 9, 2027, to January 9, 2028.