The Met Gala has taken the unprecedented step of canceling its theme for 2027 after the withdrawal of its honoree, the influential fashion designer John Galliano.Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that the Costume Institute's spring exhibition next year would be titled “John Galliano: Horizon,” recognizing the work of the British designer, who is widely considered to be one of the most powerful — and polarizing — tastemakers of the past four decades. The nine-month exhibit would have begun with the accompanying red carpet gala, one of the biggest nights on the fashion calendar.The move proved instantly controversial since Galliano was temporarily exiled from the industry after being convicted of an antisemitic hate crime by a French court in 2011.In a statement released Monday, Galliano announced he had withdrawn from being honored.“After much reflection and discussion with The Met and all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time,” he said. Met Gala chair Anna Wintour has championed fashion designer John Galliano since the beginning of his career (Getty Images)“I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry for it.“I do not want the debate surrounding me to place the Met in a difficult position or distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute,” he wrote. “I also recognize and respect that an exhibition honoring my work would be painful for some.”His decision came after a number of the Met’s donors had expressed their opposition to the theme and accompanying exhibition.The New York Times reports that Galliano’s departure came hours before key members of the Met’s board of trustees were scheduled to discuss the fate of the exhibit in the wake of more backlash. Julie Menin, the speaker of the City Council, sent a letter to Met leadership last week, becoming the first local politician to oppose the planned Galliano exhibition. The Democrat called the since-canceled show “a gut punch to the Jewish community in our city, who are already reeling” in an interview published over the weekend.John Galliano (pictured in a Dior store in Shanghai in 2010) was briefly exiled from the fashion world after his 2011 antisemitic comments surfaced (AFP/Getty)Galliano became a polarizing figure in the fashion world in 2011 when his racist comments surfaced, including a video taken at a Paris restaurant in which he used antisemitic insults at other customers.The designer was convicted of committing public insults based on race and religion from two incidents in Paris and faced a fine equivalent to $8,500. He subsequently lost his prestigious position as creative director at Dior after a 14-year tenure.During his trial, Galliano testified that he didn’t remember one of his outbursts at a Paris cafe due to a triple addiction to sleeping pills, Valium and alcohol.“I have an addiction. I am currently seeking treatment,” he told the courtroom at the time.The designer, now 65, began his career at Givenchy in 1995 before becoming Dior’s creative director in 1997, a role he held until 2011 and during which he became known for his romantic, anti-minimalist designs. His looks became some of the most sought-after on the red carpet, and he designed Princess Diana’s Met Gala dress, a lace-trimmed Dior slip that she wore to the event in 1996.In 2014, three years after his antisemitic comments surfaced, he was made the creative director of the Parisian fashion house Maison Margiela. He remained in that post until 2024.Today, his designs are still present on virtually every red carpet. Stevie Nicks wore a custom look designed by Galliano for Zara at the 2026 Met Gala. For the 2024 event, Zendaya wore a custom Galliano for Margiela look, which was inspired by his 1996 Dior collection.A 2024 documentary by Kevin Macdonald explored the designer’s redemption as he spent time in rehabilitation for alcohol addiction and met prominent Jewish leaders to seek forgiveness.Speaking about the footage and two attacks during the documentary, Galliano, who was born in the British territory of Gibraltar, said: “It was a disgusting thing, foul thing that I did. It was just horrific.”John Galliano, pictured here onstage on the Dior runway in January 2010, lost his position at the fashion house after his antisemitic comments surfaced (Getty Images)Stevie Nicks attended this year’s Met Gala in a custom look designed by John Galliano for Zara (Getty)Reflecting on the events, the designer added: “I can say I’m not racist, but every day you actually learn that all of us are a bit. But we just need to unlearn it and like immigrants. I am one. I was one.”The Guardian reported that a Met exhibition was originally planned for 2024 but was postponed after some board members voiced concerns.Wintour had previously said in a release that the exhibit would not shy away from “any of the darkness in John’s past” and that it would take into account the “full arc” of his career.The event would have celebrated Galliano’s work, with many celebrities expected to wear his archival designs or interpretations of his most famous looks.Galliano would have been only the third living designer to be the subject of the exhibit, following Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons in 2017.Wintour said in a statement released Monday: “John’s decision that the exhibition devoted to his work should not take place at this time is very courageous and a measure of the man he is. I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the Museum have my full support.”Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge of The Met's Costume Institute, said he recognized the “pain and concern this exhibition has caused.”“After extensive discussion, I support the decision not to proceed. I remain deeply grateful to my colleagues and to the advisors, lenders, collaborators, and community leaders who contributed their knowledge, trust, and perspectives to the project.”