The theme of the Met Gala 2027 will be the work of British designer John Galliano.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute has announced the theme for the 2027 Met Gala. The next exhibition and charity ball will be dedicated to the work of British fashion designer John Galliano, one of the most influential designers of recent decades. However, the decision of the organizers almost immediately caused a mixed reaction online due to the scandalous past of the couturier. Why Galliano will become the main character of the Met Gala, what is the reason for the criticism of him and what topic the ball was dedicated to in 2026 — in the Izvestia article.
"The greatest storyteller in the history of fashion": Met Gala - 2027 will be dedicated to John Galliano
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute and Vogue magazine have announced that the spring 2027 exhibition will be titled John Galliano: Horizons, and the theme of the annual ball, according to People, will be the designer's work.
John Galliano began his career at Givenchy fashion house (France) in 1995, after which he served as creative director of Dior from 1997 to 2011. From 2014 to 2024, he headed the Parisian fashion house Maison Margiela. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Galliano was considered one of the most influential visionaries in the high fashion industry.
In the official press release of Vogue magazine, Galliano is called "one of the most influential, inventive and provocative designers of the last 40 years." The organizers note that the fashion designer "turned the catwalk into a stage where fashion became a way to tell stories," and his shows invariably went far beyond the usual fashion shows.
Andrew Bolton, Curator of the Costume Institute
The Horizons exhibition considers fashion as a form of cartography, displaying not territories, but similarities, tensions and transformations. She traces how images become ideas, ideas become material, and material becomes emotion. However, the horizon shows not only what lies in front of us, but also where we are.
According to the press release, the exhibition will trace almost four decades of the designer's career - from early author's collections to work at Givenchy, Dior, Maison Margiela and his own brand. Special attention will be paid to how Galliano combined historical motifs, theatricality, cinema and high fashion, turning each collection into a full-fledged artistic statement.
Anna Wintour, Editor-in-chief of Condé Nast, Global Editorial Director of Vogue and organizer of the Met Gala since 1995
No one deserves an exhibition of this scale more than John Galliano. <...> He is a great designer, and his career is not determined by any one moment - something that he will live with for the rest of his life. The exhibition will not avoid any dark sides of John's past. It's part of what shaped him. The exhibition will cover the entire path of his career and touch on all its aspects.
Max Hollein, French director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Marina Kellen, noted that Galliano has had a huge impact on fashion over the past 40 years. According to the publication, his work has changed the idea of what fashion can be, and his legacy continues to influence modern designers. That is why the organizers decided to dedicate the next exhibition of the Costume Institute to Galliano.
Why the choice of topic caused controversy
Almost immediately after the announcement of the topic, discussions began on social media. Many users welcomed the organizers' decision, calling Galliano one of the most talented designers of our time. However, others recalled that the couturier's name is associated not only with high-profile collections, but also with one of the most famous scandals in the history of the fashion industry.
The choice of theme has caused controversy due to the biography of the 65-year-old fashion designer. In 2011, his career was interrupted after a series of anti-Semitic and racist incidents. In particular, a video from the Parisian restaurant La Perle was widely publicized, in which the designer confessed his sympathy for Adolf Hitler.
After the incident, Galliano was fired from his post as creative director of Dior. A French court later found him guilty of two counts of public hate speech. The first concerned an incident in February 2011, when a fashion designer insulted two cafe patrons, the second — a similar incident that occurred a few months earlier.
What was the theme of the Met Gala 2026?
The previous Met Gala ball was held on May 4, 2026. The theme of the evening was Fashion Is Art, and the Costume Institute's eponymous exhibition was dedicated to the study of fashion as an independent art form. The organizers suggested looking at clothes not only as an element of the wardrobe, but also as a full-fledged work of art capable of conveying ideas, emotions and cultural meanings.
The dress code was also called Fashion Is Art and invited guests to interpret fashion through the prism of painting, sculpture, architecture and other art trends. Images inspired by museum exhibits, avant-garde canvases and classical works appeared on the red carpet, and the ball itself once again brought together the largest representatives of the world of fashion, cinema, music and show business.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
