Anna Wintour’s Support for Controversial Designer Sparks Uproar

In a recent incident that stirred debate among influential New Yorkers, Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of Vogue and a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, backed the designer John Galliano, who was previously convicted of an antisemitic hate crime.

Wintour reached out to Julie Menin, a significant figure both as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and as the first Jewish speaker of the New York City Council. They connected over a 30-minute video call in an attempt by Wintour to convince Menin that honoring Galliano with a solo exhibition at the Met’s Costume Institute would be worthwhile.

Galliano’s reputation boasts of creative brilliance, as Wintour highlighted. She noted his remorse for past offenses directed at Jews, including disturbing statements like his rant supporting Hitler and derogatory comments made to patrons at a bar.

Despite expressing concerns, Menin witnessed Wintour, who exerts substantial influence over the fashion industry and the Met gala, dismiss the anxieties voiced by many prominent New Yorkers. Wintour even offered a private meeting between Galliano and Menin, showcasing her belief in the exhibition’s potential triumph.

This assurance unraveled when the Met announced the cancellation of the exhibition on Monday. The decision marked a significant setback for Wintour, who has consistently promoted Galliano and is known for her decisive fashion and art judgments.

The decision to celebrate Galliano with the Costume Institute’s highest accolade previously awarded to only two other fashion designers incited a dramatic reaction from New York’s elite during August, a period typically languid due to vacation schedules.