Fashion designer withdraws from planned Met Museum retrospective exhibition

Fashion designer John Galliano has pulled out of a planned exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The show had been due to open at next year's Met Gala and run for nine months. It faced strong opposition from donors, politicians, and Jewish community leaders. Their objections were connected to Galliano's past conviction for antisemitic hate speech. Galliano announced his decision on Instagram, saying he had reflected carefully and spoken with people involved. The museum's director, Max Hollein, confirmed that both sides agreed not to go ahead. It is rare for a major museum to cancel a planned show for a well-known designer because of pressure over his past behaviour.