Metropolitan Museum of Art announces 2027 Met Gala theme
Met Gala's 2027 theme explores how designers transform everyday items into high fashion.
(Photo via Hyperallergic)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has unveiled the theme for the 2027 Met Gala and the upcoming Costume Institute exhibition, titled extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday. Scheduled for May 2027, the exhibition will examine how designers elevate common garments and materials into high fashion.
The display is expected to feature approximately 230 pieces, highlighting items such as jeans, T-shirts, puffer jackets, and trench coats, alongside materials like paper, plastic, and aluminum. Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s curator in charge, organized the exhibition with the assistance of curators Stephanie Kramer and Emily Mushaben.
The announcement follows the cancellation of a previously planned retrospective on designer John Galliano, which was withdrawn on Aug. 31, 2026, amid public criticism regarding the designer's history of antisemitic and racist remarks. Bolton stated that he sought to create an exhibition that was as challenging and provocative as the original proposal.
Regarding the exhibition's intent, Bolton noted that the ordinary is often more complex than it appears. He expressed a hope that visitors will leave the museum with a new perspective on their own clothing, encouraging a greater sense of what is worth noticing and valuing in daily life.