If there’s one piece of news that restores a bit of confidence in the fashion industry, it’s this: the upcoming Costume Institute exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York—and, consequently, the Met Gala that will mark its opening—will be dedicated to John Galliano. A solo exhibition, *John Galliano: Horizons*, will trace the British designer’s career spanning over forty years, from his early collections to the revolutionary chapters he wrote at Givenchy, Dior, and Maison Margiela, through garments, sketches, archives, and research materials. Galliano thus becomes only the third living designer to receive a solo exhibition at the Costume Institute, following Yves Saint Laurent and Rei Kawakubo. That alone would be enough to explain the historical significance of this decision. But the truth is something else: it was about time this happened.
It was about time the Met Gala returned to putting a creator—rather than just a viral sensation—at the center. It was about time it celebrated a man who didn’t just design clothes, but built worlds. Because Galliano isn’t simply a fashion designer—he’s one of the greatest storytellers fashion has ever known. In an era when collections are all too often consumed in the blink of an eye, Galliano has always worked in the opposite direction. His runway shows weren’t seasonal presentations, but theatrical performances. Novels tailored to the body. Journeys through history, literature, art, cinema, and memory. Every look had a character, every silhouette conveyed an emotion, every detail seemed to belong to a larger universe. His tenure at Dior redefined the very concept of contemporary haute couture. He took the house’s heritage and transformed it into something explosive, romantic, decadent, excessive, and yet incredibly modern. Even today, decades later, those collections are studied, archived, and imitated. Because they have become cultural heritage even before they became fashion.
Then came Maison Margiela. And there, too, Galliano did what only the greats do: he didn’t repeat himself. He changed his language, rewrote his creative vocabulary, proving that authentic talent doesn’t belong to an aesthetic, but to a way of seeing the world. The 2024 Artisanal collection, now a part of recent fashion history, reminded everyone what it still means to amaze without chasing after special effects. Of course, it would be superficial to discuss Galliano while ignoring the most controversial chapter of his biography. The exhibition, in fact, will not gloss over it. It will also openly address the 2011 scandal, the anti-Semitic remarks that cost him his job at Dior, his conviction in France, and the long personal and professional journey that followed. Andrew Bolton has made it clear that the exhibition aims to explore this complexity without turning it into either an acquittal or a whitewash. And it is probably this very complexity that makes the choice all the more interesting. A museum is not a moral court, nor is it a place of uncritical celebration. It is a space that preserves, contextualizes, and invites reflection. Telling Galliano’s story inevitably means grappling with the—always uncomfortable—relationship between creative genius, personal responsibility, and the possibility of redemption.
But, setting this debate aside, one thing remains indisputable: the impact of his work. For years, the Met Gala has alternated between brilliant insights and themes that have left very little mark on the collective memory, often turning the red carpet into a costume contest rather than an exercise in interpreting fashion. Dedicating an exhibition to John Galliano means shifting the focus back to where it should always be: on creativity, on the construction of the imagination, and on a designer’s ability to truly change the language of fashion. That is why this is not only a wonderful choice, but the most sensible choice the Costume Institute could have made.
Now, however, comes the hardest part. Because if John Galliano is the star of the show, there’s a risk that the red carpet will turn into yet another parade of flashy outfits and superficial references. Galliano never made provocation an end in itself. His theatricality was culture, research, construction, emotion. It was craftsmanship elevated to a language. The hope is that the guests will remember this. Because paying tribute to John Galliano doesn’t mean wearing the most eccentric outfit of the evening. It means living up to a vision that forever changed the way we imagine fashion. And, frankly, after years of noise, it would be nice to see a bit of genuine grandeur on the red carpet again.
[📷IPA]
