Amid Donor Threats, Met Gala Organizers Weigh Moving 2027 Date
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is reportedly reconsidering the date of its 2027 Met Gala after donors and Jewish leaders objected to plans to honor designer John Galliano. The exhibition, which would be only the third solo show for a living designer at the Costume Institute, has drawn criticism over Galliano's 2011 antisemitic outburst. Organizers are said to be doing damage control as some donors threaten to withdraw support.
The proposed 2027 exhibition would mark only the third time the Costume Institute has devoted a solo show to a living designer, placing Galliano alongside Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo. The museum announced the plan in July, framing it as a comprehensive look at his career, including the 2011 incident that led to his dismissal from Dior and a criminal conviction in France.
The scheduling conflict has intensified the controversy, as May 3 coincides with Yom HaShoah. New York City Council speaker Julie Menin publicly urged museum leadership to reconsider, citing Galliano's conviction, his on-camera remarks about Hitler, and reports of a similar alleged incident in 2019. Donors have reportedly contacted Met executives threatening to withdraw gifts.
This dispute could reshape how cultural institutions balance artistic recognition against accountability for personal misconduct. The Met faces pressure from multiple directions: donors threatening financial withdrawal, Jewish community leaders objecting to the honor, and fashion industry figures who may view the backlash as erasing creative legacy. The outcome may influence how museums approach future retrospectives of controversial figures, potentially making institutions more cautious about celebrating artists with documented histories of hate speech, while also raising questions about whether rehabilitation and atonement can ever be sufficient.