New York (AFP) - Top fashion designer John Galliano announced Monday he was cancelling an exhibition of his work that was to kick off New York’s Met Gala next spring, following criticism from donors and political leaders over his past antisemitic remarks.

“After much reflection and discussion with all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time,” Galliano, 65, wrote on Instagram.

“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,” he added.

A French court convicted Galliano in 2011 of making racist and antisemitic comments, after he hurled Jewish and Asian slurs at a Paris bar.

The Briton, famed for his flamboyant personality and daring designs, was also fired from his job as creative director of Dior after the incident surfaced.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art had planned a nine-month exhibition of his work starting with the star-studded Met Gala next May but high-profile Jewish figures, including renowned art dealer Arne Glimcher and city council speaker Julie Menin, voiced opposition this month.

“I do not want the debate surrounding me to place the Met in a difficult position or to distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute,” Galliano said Monday, referencing the museum’s department dedicated to fashion.

“I also recognize and respect that an exhibition honoring my work would be painful for some,” he said.

Galliano referenced the rehabilitation that followed his conviction, noting his “deepest gratitude to all those who have guided, supported and accompanied me throughout these fifteen years of sobriety and recovery from alcoholism and addiction.”

- Wintour weighs in -

The Met confirmed that the “John Galliano: Horizons” show would not proceed as planned, and that a new exhibition would be announced at a later date.

Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of the Met’s Costume Institute, said he supported the decision.

“I believe deeply in the responsibility of museums to examine difficult histories with rigor, candor, and care. I also recognize the pain and concern this exhibition has caused,” he said in a statement.

Anna Wintour, the fashion icon and ex-Vogue editor who is a trustee of the Met, expressed her “full support” for Galliano and the museum.

“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,” she said.

After Dior, Galliano took the reins as creative director at Maison Margiela. He stepped down in 2024 after 10 years at the French label that helped repair his scandal-tainted image.

In March, he signed a two-year creative contract with Spanish retailer Zara.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the nonprofit Anti-Defamation League, said on X that showcasing Galliano’s work was “the wrong move at the wrong moment.”

“With antisemitism at crisis levels, the Met honoring John Galliano at this moment was misguided, and even Galliano ultimately recognized what the Met should have done from the start,” Greenblatt said.