🎙️New on the Back Row podcast: Novelist and journalist Jo Piazza, author of The Parisian Heist, joined me to discuss the latest developments in the Louvre heist, which has gripped the world since thieves attempted to make off with $102M worth of French crown jewels in broad daylight. Are the suspects now telling authorities the truth? Piazza studied art heists to write her book and has answers. Listen to/watch this free episode in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
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This week’s Premium issue is dropping early owing to the major breaking news that the Costume Institute will stage a 2027 retrospective on John Galliano. Upgrade your subscription to access all of Back Row’s exclusive coverage of this story.
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There is no “Loose Threads” today. I’ll be back in your inbox later this week with a free issue.
Amy
P.S. — I’d be grateful if you spent a couple of minutes taking Back Row’s first-ever denim survey! I’m curious what jeans you love and recommend. I’ll report back the community’s picks in a future issue.
Anna Wintour Got Her Way. At What Cost?
On Friday just before 6 p.m., on the last day of July, Vogue and the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the Costume Institute would stage a retrospective of John Galliano’s work in 2027. The Met Gala opening the exhibition will also celebrate his life and career. The news was coupled with a story fed to the New York Times in advance that acknowledged the controversy around this choice, owing to Galliano’s racist and anti-Semitic past.
You don’t announce news late on a summer Friday unless you want to bury it. (It’s often when celebrities announce their divorces.) The fashion world largely seems excited about the exhibition and associated Met Gala. But outside the industry and its fans, many reacted with disbelief: Was this a troll? Especially after the Bezos mess at the Met Gala just a couple months ago, which led to unprecedented protests against the event's elitism and the tech oligarchs who headlined the guest list.
The exhibition and dress code may change each year, but this decade has had one overarching theme:
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