By Basant El-Faramawy
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute announced a new theme for the 2027 Met Gala exhibit on Thursday, replacing a planned show honoring designer John Galliano that was canceled in August following backlash over his past antisemitic and anti-Asian remarks.
New Exhibit Focuses on Everyday Objects
The new exhibition, titled "extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday," will explore how designers transform ordinary garments and materials such as jeans, T-shirts, puffer coats, paper, plastic, and metal into extraordinary creations. The museum said the show will reveal how craft, construction, material experimentation, and conceptual wit give these everyday forms extraordinary possibilities.
Galliano Show Canceled Amid Controversy
The Costume Institute had originally announced the Galliano retrospective in late July. After controversy erupted, the museum and Galliano jointly decided not to proceed. Galliano was fired from Christian Dior in 2011 over racist and antisemitic comments and was later convicted of antisemitic abuse in France. The original exhibit would have coincided with Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 3, 2027.
Curator Describes Creative Process
Andrew Bolton, head curator of the Costume Institute, said he had no backup plan when the Galliano show was canceled. He drew on a passing thought from working on the previous Met Gala exhibition, which examined the relationship between bodies and clothing, leading him to consider how everyday clothes carry deep personal meaning.
Wintour Supports Cancellation Decision
Longtime Met Gala chair Anna Wintour, also Vogue's global editorial director, supported the cancellation decision. In an August statement, she called Galliano's decision not to proceed "very courageous" and said both he and the museum had her full support.
