Met Gala's New 2027 Theme Faces Backlash After Original Exhibit Was Canceled Amid Controversy: 'So Ready for the Worst Outfits Ever'
Billowy ball gowns likely won't be on the 2027 Met Gala red carpet thanks to the new theme.
Nov. 5 2026, Published 7:54 p.m. ET
Anna Wintour has another Met Gala nightmare brewing, as the fashion queen's revamped 2027 theme has unleashed a fresh storm of backlash following her disastrous original plan involving controversial designer John Galliano, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The new theme for the gala is "extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday," where T-shirts, jeans, and other mundane items will get a couture glam-up that critics are calling out of touch and "boring"
2027 Met Gala Will Draw Inspiration From 'Unremarkable' Items
Anna Wintour personally approves every guests look before they walk the Met Gala red carpet.
When announcing the theme on Thursday, November 5, the Met's website described the exhibition that the gala will draw inspiration from as featuring "unremarkable" items used in everyday life.
"From jeans, T-shirts, and puffer coats to paper, plastic, and metal, the exhibition will reveal how the seemingly unremarkable can inspire delight, surprise, and wonder. It will also consider how meaning develops through use and care," the description read.
Vogue said in its announcement that the gala and exhibition "will be devoted to the undersung beauty and allure of quotidian garments — think the aforementioned t-shirts and jeans, plus raincoats, sweatshirts, puffer jackets, and more."
New Theme Is 'Richest People Alive Playing Dress-up as the Rest Of Us'
Beautiful, couture ball gowns will be replaced by glammed up utilitarian looks for the on the 2027 Met Gala red carpet.
Critics took to X to slam the Gala's new theme.
"The Met Gala asking celebrities to reimagine jeans and sweatshirts is the richest people alive playing dress-up as the rest of us," one person sneered.
"A Met Gala theme built around T-shirts and jeans means the most expensive night in fashion is about to look like a Saturday Costco run. Somebody is absolutely going to show up in a $40,000 hoodie and call it a statement on the working class," a second user scoffed.
"Can't wait to see a bunch of multi-millionaires wear basic grey sweatpants and a plain white tee just to have fashion critics call it a boundary-pushing masterpiece," a third person snarked.
"I've been curating this exhibit on my bedroom chair for years," a fourth laughed, while a fifth joked, "So an elevated slumber party got it." A sixth huffed, "So ready for the worst outfits ever."
2027 Met Gala and Exhibition Was Originally Set to Honor John Galliano
The original 2027 Met Gala theme and exhibition was centered around British designer John Galliano.
The original 2027 exhibition, announced on July 31, was set to be "John Galliano: Horizons" and feature displays of the iconic yet deeply controversial British designer who burst onto the fashion scene in the 1990s, including his legendary run as creative director at Dior from 1996 through 2011.
It was only the third time that a living designer was going to have their designs exclusively featured in the coveted annual exhibition.
Vogue Global Editorial Director Wintour, 77, who serves as the Met Gala's lead chairperson, publicly championed Galliano, calling him "the premier couturier of his generation."
John Galliano Withdrew From Met Exhibition 'With Great Sadness'
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
John Galliano pulled out of having the exhibit featuring his designs due to too much backlash.
Galliano pulled out of the exhibition on August 31 amid growing backlash, admitting that showcasing his designs could "be painful" for some, 15 years after his once-glittering fashion career spectacularly imploded over a series of drunken, antisemitic rants.
"After much reflection and discussion with all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time," the revolutionary designer said in an Instagram post.
Noting that he's been "in recovery from alcoholism and addiction" since 2011, the year of his incidents, Galliano added, "I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry."
