The 2024 Met Gala Red Carpet Was Basically the John Galliano Show

Even after much-publicized racist and antisemitic outbursts got him fired from Dior in 2011, John Galliano never entirely left the picture: He went to rehab to address his addiction, he was working with Oscar de la Renta in 2013 and was ultimately hired by Maison Margiela the year after. (He's been there ever since, his contract renewed in 2019.) He did become a lot more private, rarely doing interviews or posing for cameras. (He'll attend award shows and big events, like the Met Gala, but not walk the red carpet). He's also maintained a strong relationship with Anna Wintour, who's rumored to be one of the biggest advocates for his comeback. As of late, he seems to be reemerging as a big character in the fashion industry, without the caveats or asterisks.

Though Galliano's been at Maison Margiela for a decade now, it was not until this year that his work got the rapturous, near-universal adulation he'd regularly receive during his heyday at Dior. His Fall 2024 Artisanal collection was by and large deemed a "return to form" for the designer, heralded for the way it married theatricality and storytelling with craft and skill. Then came the Mubi documentary "High and Low," which, despite Kevin Macdonald's honest efforts to tell an impartial story, had involvement from Condé Nast and Wintour, raising questions about whether there was a strategy there. Journalist Dana Thomas, who wrote "Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano" (so, a trustworthy source on the subject), raised the possibility of it laying the groundwork for a return to LVMH in her newsletter; later on, Lauren Sherman reported on the likelihood of this in Puck's Line Sheet.

So, Galliano's been on people's minds. That only intensified in the lead-up to the 2024 Met Gala. First, Chantal Fernandez reported on the Costume Institute's original plan to stage a retrospective on the designer as this year's big spring exhibit for The Cut (a plan said to have been nixed by the museum). Shortly after, Thomas published a story in the Telegraph about the behind-the-scenes machinations being pulled to win back public favor for Galliano. Then, Zendaya — arguably the 2024 Met Gala's most anticipated attendee — arrived at Wintour's customary night-before dinner Sunday wearing a dress from his namesake line's Spring 1998 collection, sourced from Aralda Vintage. This further ignited online chatter that Galliano's work would have a big presence on Monday's "Garden of Time"-themed red carpet.

Sometimes, the internet's right. By the end of the night, Maison Margiela and Galliano had dressed some of the most talked-about Met Gala guests: co-chairs Zendaya and Bad Bunny, Gwendoline Christie (a host of the official Vogue livestream) and Kim Kardashian (who always gets buzz). Right as the red carpet was wrapping up, Zendaya walked up the steps again, this time in a different Galliano-designed number — from his time at Givenchy. And though he didn't pose on the carpet, Galliano was there, photographed inside, where yet another Maison Margiela Artisanal gown appeared on surprise musical performer Ariana Grande.

So, what does this mean? It could mean something, it could be nothing — but, given how tightly controlled every aspect of the Met Gala is, from the guest list to who wears what, one can easily infer some meaning in Galliano's outsized presence on what's arguably fashion's most important red carpet. Plus, we know fashion's quick to forgive and even quicker to forget.

The reality is, this situation is by no means straightforward. Yes, the looks are impressive feats of craftsmanship and creativity — but fashion is about more than just clothes.

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