Met Gala 2027 theme to celebrate the poetics of everyday life

The Met Gala scheduled for 3 May 2027 will focus on the theme “extraORDINARY: fashion and the poetics of the everyday.” This follows the cancellation of a planned retrospective on designer John Galliano earlier this year due to backlash regarding his previous behaviour. The shift to a more commonplace subject has led to speculation that celebrities might move away from elaborate red-carpet displays in favour of simpler attire.

According to a press release, the exhibition intends to “explore how designers rework familiar garments, everyday objects, and commonplace materials”. By examining wardrobe staples like “jeans, T-shirts and puffer coats” alongside materials such as “paper, plastic and metal,” the show will “examine how design reveals unexpected possibilities within everyday things”. The specific dress code for the evening has yet to be revealed, though it is usually linked to the exhibition theme.

Reaction to the announcement has been divided. Dana Thomas, author of Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, stated it “reinforces the message that was very, very clear with the Galliano announcement that the costume institute’s team is highly out of touch”. She described the choice to “take such ordinary garments and then show how fashion has co-opted them and added zeros to the price tag” as tone-deaf.

Thomas also suggested the theme was a “missed opportunity” to honour major figures who died this year, such as Dolly Parton and Bob Mackie. Mackie designed the “naked” dress worn by Cher to the 1974 Met Gala and created many costumes for Parton. “There could have been a Bob Mackie room in the Dolly Parton show,” she said, adding that such a tribute would have been “a beautiful homage to a woman who was a style icon and a humanitarian”.

She further claimed the event would have been financially successful and popular with both local New Yorkers and tourists, concluding that “fun is missing from the equation”. Similarly, the platform 1Granary remarked that the theme “proves that sometimes fashion is either too controversial to exist or too boring to care about.” Malique Morris, a correspondent for the industry newsletter Line Sheet, noted that his disappointment was tied to the earlier cancellation of the Galliano exhibit, stating, “Because we’re not getting that, we’re going to feel robbed.”

Some online commentators highlighted the contrast between this theme and the work of Galliano, who was found guilty of a hate crime in 2011 following a series of antisemitic and racist rants. Conversely, celebrity stylist and Vogue contributor Marian Kwei called the theme “very clever.” She suggested it is “actually a very interesting thing, which I think is an incredible celebration of fashion, the concept of fashion design and what designers try to do with design itself.”

Regarding the red carpet, Morris suggested the event could serve as a “palette cleanser” where guests might focus on fit and storytelling rather than high-glam “peacocking”. There is historical precedent for using staples like denim at the gala. In 2024, Da’vine Joy Randolph wore a denim piece by Zac Posen, who serves as creative director of Gap. Last year, Troye Sivan wore Prada devoré-effect jeans, while model Bhavitha Mandava appeared in Chanel trousers by Matthieu Blazy designed to resemble blue denim.

The exhibition’s emphasis on “recycling, upcycling and reuse” may encourage guests to wear creations by designers like Sweden's Ellen Hodakova Larsson, who uses items like old spoons and belt buckles for couture. Kwei also mentioned the work of Dutch designer Duran Lantink as a potential fit for the theme. With individual tickets priced at approximately $100,000 last year, the guest list—overseen by Anna Wintour—remains exclusive. Kwei noted that while there is potential for missteps by those “not really in touch with the context of the times,” the upcoming red carpet “is going to be very interesting”.