Met Gala 2027 goes everyday: T-shirts and jeans replace the Galliano show

The world's most glamorous fashion party is about to get a lot more relaxed. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has revealed the theme of the 2027 Met Gala, and it is built around the clothes most of us wear every day.

What happened?

The Met's Costume Institute (its fashion department) will present "extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday". It was put together by Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge, with Stephanie Kramer and Emily Mushaben.

The gala itself takes place on Monday, May 3, 2027. Guests are being asked to lean into elevated everyday clothing: think T-shirts, jeans and sweatshirts. The exhibition then opens to the public on May 9, 2027 and runs until January 9, 2028.

Why the sudden change?

The original plan was a show honouring designer John Galliano. The Met announced it on May 1, 2026, and it quickly drew criticism because of Galliano's past antisemitic remarks.

On August 31, Galliano withdrew. In an Instagram message he said it was best for the exhibition not to take place "at this time". He said he remains "fully accountable for the pain caused by my words", especially to the Jewish and Asian communities, and added that atonement is "a continuing responsibility", not something an exhibition can deliver.

Vogue's Anna Wintour said she believed it was the right decision and that Galliano and the museum had her full support.

What did the curator say?

Bolton told Vogue on November 5 that he had no plan B. He said it mattered to avoid a quick, easy show or a simple masterwork exhibition.

"I wanted it to be as challenging and as provocative and as beautiful as a John show would have been," he said. He also stressed that the idea shouldn't feel like a substitute, and that it needed some contemporary resonance.

What's next?

The guest list and red-carpet looks are still a long way off. For now, the big question is how the stars will interpret a dress code that starts with a plain T-shirt.