The Met has announced that the next Costume Institute Exhibition for Spring 2027 will be John Galliano: Horizon. It will be the first major museum exhibition devoted to Galliano, who is, without a doubt, one of the most inventive and influential designers of the past few decades. The exhibition will comprise of garments, accessories, sketches, toiles, research books, and archival materials.
The Costume Institute holds the world’s largest collection of Galliano’s work, including his 1984 Central Saint Martins graduate collection. It also includes work from his appointments at Givenchy, Christian Dior, and Maison Margiela – making this a not-to-be-missed exhibition for all those wanting to see his artistry up close.
It’s no secret that while Galliano has earned extensive creative accomplishments, he has also faced a lot of controversy that fundamentally altered his career and public reception. The Met has confirmed that the exhibition will address this and, in doing so, consider how artistic achievement should be understood alongside ethical accountability.
of Art; Photograph by © Paolo Roversi
The exhibition is organised by Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute and a leading authority in fashion who has covered Galliano’s career extensively.
“Every Galliano collection begins as a journey among things separated by time, place, or medium: portrait and posture, silhouette and story, memory and material,” says Bolton. “The exhibition considers both how Galliano has remapped the world through fashion and how his conduct, its consequences and changing cultural values have reshaped our understanding of his work.”
The exhibition will be organised into three movements: ‘bearings’, ‘horizons’, and ‘Atlas of Transformation.’
‘Bearings’ will open by connecting Galliano’s career and collections to broader historical and cultural events. It will address the rupture caused by his anti-Semitic, racist and anti-Asian conduct in 2010 and 2011. As well as his subsequent treatment for substance addiction and his public acknowledgement of his actions.
‘Horizons’ will map his recurring sources of history – from history to geography, art, storytelling and performance. While the third movement, ‘Atlas of Transformation ’, will trace Galliano’s creative process through his extraordinary research books, sketches, toiles, fittings, and finished garments.
The exhibition will be on view at The Met Museum, Fifth Avenue, from May 9, 2027 through January 9, 2028.
The Met Gala 2027 will be held on Monday May 3.