Met Museum Announces 2027 Met Gala Theme: Poetics of the Everyday

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced its spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition and gala theme as “extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday,” following the cancellation of a planned showcase honoring controversial British designer John Galliano.

The revamped theme shifts focus to quotidian garments like T-shirts, jeans, puffer coats, and everyday materials such as paper, plastic, and metal. According to an announcement detailed by The Guardian, the exhibition will examine how fashion co-opts these ordinary items and adds value through design.

This pivot follows the withdrawal of the planned “John Galliano: Horizons” exhibition announced in July. Museum donors, city officials, and Jewish community leaders protested the choice due to Galliano’s 2011 conviction by French authorities for antisemitic and racist remarks, which led to his dismissal from Christian Dior.

Reactions to the new theme remain divided. Dana Thomas, author of Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, told The Guardian that the decision is tone-deaf and out of touch, arguing it represents a missed opportunity to honor figures who died this year, such as Dolly Parton and designer Bob Mackie.

Other critics on social media characterized the concept as wealthy figures playing dress-up in everyday clothes.

Conversely, celebrity stylist and Vogue contributor Marian Kwei defended the concept to The Guardian as a clever celebration of fashion design and what designers achieve with ordinary materials. Morris suggested the red carpet could serve as a palette cleanser away from constant viral peacocking.

Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s head curator, told Complex that he wanted an exhibition relevant to current conversations about value, consumption, and resourcefulness. The showcase will feature between 200 and 230 pieces, including Brooke Shields’ Calvin Klein jeans and items from Marc Jacobs’ 1993 Perry Ellis grunge line.

The 2027 Met Gala is scheduled for May 3, 2027. The exhibition will open on May 9, 2027, and run through January 9, 2028, with Anna Wintour confirmed as a co-chair.

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