Inside the Met Gala's options following the Galliano fiasco
Page Six • • entertainment
Key Points:
- The Met has canceled the John Galliano exhibit scheduled for May 2027, just nine months before the Met Gala, creating a tight timeline to develop an alternative plan.
- Significant work had already been done on the exhibit, including concept development, research, and sourcing archival pieces, making it challenging to replace with a similarly scaled show on short notice.
- Possible alternatives include advancing a future exhibition in planning or creating a thematic show based on the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, which contains over 35,000 pieces spanning centuries and continents.
- Canceling the Met Gala, a major fundraiser and high-profile event, remains a last-resort option; the gala has been canceled before due to controversies and crises such as 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Galliano withdrew from the exhibition amid backlash over his past antisemitic and racist remarks, with the scheduled gala date coinciding with Holocaust Remembrance Day, intensifying criticism and prompting his decision to avoid causing further pain or distraction.
