DEAR JOHN: The Met’s next fashion exhibition at the Costume Institute will be British fashion maverick John Galliano.
According to sources, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is to reveal the theme of its spring show in early September, around the time of New York Fashion Week. Representatives from The Met did not respond to requests Friday seeking comment.
A Galliano retrospective has been mooted for years, and gained fresh urgency with his triumphant spring 2024 Artisanal collection for Maison Margiela, a theatrical tour de force that proved his unrivaled mastery of couture techniques, his extraordinary imagination — and his unerring grasp of the zeitgeist.
Only two living fashion designers have been given solo monographic retrospectives at the Costume Institute: Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo in 2017.
While he wound up his 10-year collaboration with Maison Margiela in December 2025, having delivered fashion thrills, cultural moments and business progression galore, Galliano is to return to the fashion spotlight this fall when he launches his first season collection as part of a two-year partnership with Zara.
A launch event has been scheduled for Sept. 30 during Paris Fashion Week.
A club kid from South London via Gibraltar, Galliano hit the international fashion radar immediately after graduating from Central Saint Martins in 1984. With his theatrical flair and inspirations of epic proportions, Galliano immediately became famous for his ultra-feminine gowns, innovative tailoring and a cheeky, streetwise.
Luxury titan Bernard Arnault tapped him in 1995 to succeed Hubert de Givenchy upon his retirement, moving the designer to Dior a year later. He spent eventful 15 years at the French house, further catapulting its global fame and elevating its image.
He was ousted from Dior and his namesake fashion house in 2011 following racist and antisemitic outbursts at a Paris bar. Oscar de la Renta, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, Kate Moss and OTB’s Renzo Rosso were among the industry figures who assisted him in his personal recovery from multiple addictions, and a gradual professional rehabilitation.
Galliano has said Rosso, whose group controls Maison Margiela, gave him the “most precious gift: the opportunity to once again find my creative voice when I had become voiceless.”
—With contributions from Rosemary Feitelberg
