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The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced a new theme for the 2027 Met Gala following the cancellation of its planned exhibition honouring fashion designer John Galliano amid backlash over his past antisemitic and racist remarks.
Unveiled on November 5, the new Costume Institute exhibition, titled "extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday," will explore the artistic potential of everyday clothing and ordinary materials. It will be curated by Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute's curator in charge, alongside Stephanie Kramer and Emily Mushaben.
According to Vogue, the exhibition will celebrate the "undersung beauty and allure of quotidian garments," including T-shirts, jeans, raincoats, sweatshirts and puffer jackets.
The exhibition will approach everyday fashion from two perspectives, examining how designers transform familiar clothing into runway creations and how seemingly disposable materials such as paper, aluminium and plastic can be turned into wearable art.
Speaking to Vogue, Bolton said he wanted the new exhibition to offer something distinctive rather than simply replace the original Galliano tribute.
"I wanted it to be as challenging and as provocative and as beautiful as a John show would have been," he explained, adding that the exhibition needed to have "some sort of contemporary resonance."
The 2027 Met Gala is scheduled for May 3, with the exhibition opening to the public on May 9 and running until January 9, 2028.
The announcement follows the museum's August 31 decision to abandon its original plans for "John Galliano: Horizons," after the designer withdrew from the project amid mounting criticism. The exhibition had been announced on July 31 and was intended to celebrate his influential fashion career.
Galliano's participation attracted controversy because of incidents in 2011, when he made antisemitic and racist remarks, including expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler during an encounter at a Paris restaurant. He was subsequently convicted of two hate crimes in France.
In announcing his withdrawal, the 65-year-old acknowledged the harm caused by his previous conduct.
"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 for it," he said. He added that meaningful atonement required more than institutional recognition, describing it as "a continuing responsibility, demonstrated through listening, learning and one's conduct over time."
