By Karim Hammam
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute has unveiled a new theme for its 2027 blockbuster exhibition, pivoting to everyday clothing after canceling a planned show dedicated to designer John Galliano. The new exhibition, titled "extraOrdinary: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday," will showcase items such as blue jeans, puffer jackets, white T‑shirts, and even materials like paper, plastic, and Bubble Wrap reimagined through high fashion.
Backlash Over Galliano Exhibition
The original Galliano exhibition was postponed in late August following a public outcry over the designer's history of antisemitic remarks. Donors and museum supporters rebelled, viewing the choice as unnecessarily provocative, and Galliano withdrew from the project. The episode became a public relations crisis for Anna Wintour, a Met board member and Vogue's global editorial director, whose fundraising influence and longtime support of Galliano raised concerns about donor sway over programming decisions.
New Theme Focuses on the Everyday
By contrast, the new theme appears deliberately uncontentious, centering on garments nearly everyone wears. However, the museum acknowledges that even a focus on the ordinary could spark its own debates. The exhibition aims to explore how basic, utilitarian items are transformed by fashion's creative lens, offering a stark departure from the couture fantasia originally envisioned.
