Washington [US], September 1 (ANI): Anna Wintour has backed John Galliano's decision to withdraw from the planned 2027 Met Gala exhibition dedicated to his work, calling the move "very courageous" amid renewed backlash over the designer's 2011 antisemitic outburst.
"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," Vogue's global editorial director wrote in a statement posted on the Met Gala's official website on Monday (local time), adding, "I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the Museum have my full support," as per Page Six.
Galliano announced Monday that he would step back from the forthcoming event following discussions with The Metropolitan Museum of Art and others involved in the exhibition.
"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," Galliano wrote in an official statement on his Instagram handle.
He added, "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."
The designer also wrote that "meaningful atonement is not achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition or a single public gesture," describing it instead as "a continuing responsibility, demonstrated through listening, learning and one's conduct over time."
Galliano also said he did not want the "debate surrounding [him] to place The Met in a difficult position or to distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute."
He acknowledged that an exhibition celebrating his work "would be painful for some" and expressed his appreciation for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wintour and the other organisers who had sought to devote an exhibition to his career.
The decision comes after Galliano's selection as the honoree for the May 2027 Met Gala sparked controversy earlier this month.
The designer had faced continued scrutiny over a 2011 incident in Paris, when he was caught on video making drunken racist remarks. He initially apologised and said he did not remember the incident, as per Page Six.
The controversy resulted in Galliano being fired as a designer at Dior. He subsequently entered rehab and took a brief hiatus from the spotlight before returning to work in 2014 as creative designer for Maison Margiela.
Ahead of the announcement that he would be honoured at the Met Gala, Galliano and Wintour had met with several "influential rabbis and Jewish leaders" in New York, who said the designer deserved another chance.
Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, told Page Six that "ADL accepted John Galliano's apology long ago, and believes he has genuinely reckoned with his past antisemitism."
"But timing matters," he continued, adding, "Antisemitism is surging ... and Jewish New Yorkers are feeling unheard by their city's leaders. As the decision is made, now it's on the Met and partners, not with token gestures around one exhibit, but with real action against antisemitism, in the museum and across the fashion world they help shape."
Wintour had previously defended Galliano when his Met Gala honour was announced, telling the New York Times that his career was not "defined by a single moment" and that "there was no one more deserving of an exhibition of this scale."
Her latest statement came shortly before a Conde Nast insider told Page Six that staffers were allegedly "whispering behind her back" and had expressed concerns about Galliano being honoured at the annual gala.
"That's how something like this gets this far in the first place," the insider said, adding, "People are afraid of losing their jobs, so nobody wants to be the person who stands up and says, 'This is a bad idea.'"
"There were definitely people who had concerns, but no one wanted to challenge her directly, and now people are mortified by how this was handled," the source added. (ANI)
Anna Wintour calls John Galliano's Met Gala exit "very courageous"
