The Met’s Costume Institute has picked its next big subject: John Galliano. The exhibition, “John Galliano: Horizons,” will run from May 9, 2027, through January 9, 2028, at the Condé M. Nast Galleries. It will also set the theme for next year’s Met Gala.
Galliano has always stood out for his drama and craftsmanship. He first made a name for himself in 1984 with his graduate collection at Central Saint Martins, a bold, theatrical take on 18th-century fashion. That collection launched his own label. From there, he went on to lead Givenchy, then took over at Christian Dior in 1996, where his extravagant runway shows turned him into one of the most talked-about designers in the industry.
His career took a sharp turn in 2011, when a video showed him making antisemitic remarks. He was later convicted of a hate crime in France. Galliano stepped away from fashion, got treatment for addiction and met with Jewish community leaders before making his comeback in 2014 as creative director of Maison Margiela. There, he earned praise again — especially for a widely admired spring 2024 couture show. He left Margiela later that year and has since started working with Zara.
Anna Wintour, who announced the exhibition alongside the Costume Institute, called Galliano the ideal subject for a show of this scale, pointing to how his work across Dior, Givenchy, Margiela and his own label brings together erudition and creativity, light and darkness, past and present. Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton framed the show similarly, saying it will examine how Galliano has reshaped fashion’s visual language and how his conduct, its fallout and shifting cultural values have changed the way his work is understood.
Galliano is only the third living designer to get a solo show at the Met, after Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo in 2017. Ahead of the exhibit, the show’s curator and Galliano himself reportedly met with rabbis and Jewish community leaders to make sure the story is told fairly and accurately.
His clothes remain highly sought after — vintage Dior pieces from his era can sell for well over 100,000 euros. But the exhibit is likely to spark real debate, weighing his talent against his past. That tension will probably follow this show right up until opening day.
