Organizers of the Met Gala have announced the Met Gala 2027 theme, “extraORDINARY: fashion and the poetics of the everyday,” a title that turns the spotlight from spectacle to wardrobe staples. The event is scheduled for 3 May 2027, and its dress code has not yet been revealed, though it traditionally follows the exhibition’s concept.
The announcement arrives after a planned retrospective devoted to John Galliano was canceled amid criticism of the designer’s past. Galliano was convicted of a hate crime in 2011 following a series of racist and antisemitic remarks. The new theme, by contrast, centers on familiar garments, commonplace objects, and ordinary materials.
What the Exhibition Will Explore
According to a press release, the exhibition will look at how designers transform familiar clothing, everyday objects, and commonplace materials. It will draw on items ranging from jeans, T-shirts, and puffer coats to paper, plastic, and metal, and will consider how design uncovers unexpected possibilities in ordinary things.
The show will also highlight recycling, upcycling, and reuse. Observers have suggested that work by designers known for reworking everyday materials—such as the Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson, who creates couture gowns from belt buckles and old spoons—could fit the theme. The Dutch designer Duran Lantink, praised for his use of everyday materials, has also been mentioned as a possible match.
Mixed Reactions From the Fashion World
Responses have been divided. Dana Thomas, author of Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, said the theme reinforces the impression that the Costume Institute’s team is out of touch—a message she felt was already clear with the Galliano announcement. She described the idea of taking ordinary garments and showing how fashion has co-opted them and added zeros to the price tag as tone deaf.
Thomas also called it a missed opportunity. She believes the theme could have honored major figures from fashion and popular culture who died this year, including Dolly Parton and Bob Mackie, the designer behind Cher’s “naked” dress at the 1974 Met Gala and many of Parton’s costumes. Thomas suggested a Bob Mackie room within a Dolly Parton tribute would have been easy to mount and would have served as a beautiful homage to a style icon and humanitarian. She added that such an exhibition would have been enormously popular, raised substantial money for the museum, and generated goodwill from the press and the public.
The industry platform 1Granary offered a blunt assessment: the new theme proves that sometimes fashion is either too controversial to exist or too boring to care about. Malique Morris, a correspondent at the industry newsletter Line Sheet, said his underwhelm stems from the fact that the theme follows the canceled Galliano exhibition. Because that show is not happening, he said, people will feel robbed.
Online, some commentators noted that the new theme feels as far as possible from the fantastical work of Galliano.
A Clever Concept, Supporters Say
Not everyone is disappointed. Celebrity stylist and Vogue contributor Marian Kwei called the theme very clever. It may appear simple, she said, but it is far from it. She described it as an interesting and incredible celebration of fashion, the concept of fashion design, and what designers try to achieve through design itself.
Morris said the theme could act as a palette cleanser and a refresh. Instead of constant peacocking and chasing a viral moment, he suggested, there could be a sense of simply looking good, ensuring clothes fit well, and telling a story that does not have to be incredibly high glam.
Denim and Everyday Staples on the Red Carpet
There is precedent for everyday staples on the Met Gala red carpet. Zac Posen, in his role as creative director of Gap, has been behind several such trends. In 2024, Da’Vine Joy Randolph wore an all-denim creation by Posen to the gala. At the 2026 event, the Australian pop star Troye Sivan wore devoré-effect jeans by Prada, and the model Bhavitha Mandava wore muslin-printed trousers designed to resemble blue jeans by Matthieu Blazy at Chanel.
Kwei said the red carpet could be very interesting, though she also noted the potential for missteps when the event is attended by people who are not in touch with the context of the times.
With individual tickets last year costing about $100,000 and the guest list personally overseen by Anna Wintour, the evening itself remains far from everyday. Whether celebrities will trade couture “omelette dresses” and elaborate red-carpet performances for jeans and a nice top remains to be seen.
