Expect Puffer Jackets & T-Shirts Under The 2027 Met Gala ‘Extraordinary’ New Theme

To say planning for next year’s Met Gala has been chaotic so far would be an understatement. But after the art and fashion institution’s decision to cancel its controversial “John Galliano: Horizons” exhibition at the end of the summer, things are finally starting to come together. On Thursday, Nov. 5, the Met Gala shared its new 2027 theme, “extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday”, and plenty of past looks could hint at what’s to be expected from the red carpet fashion.

“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,” read The Met’s official statement. “It will also consider how meaning develops through use and care.” If that sounds boring — especially in comparison to the theatricality and global eclecticism a Galliano-inspired gala could elicit — you might be pleasantly surprised by the creativity the new theme will conjure up. For example, Gigi Hadid’s Versace puffer in 2022 or Doja Cat’s “wet” white t-shirt by Vetements in 2024 show the lengths to which ordinary items could be reimagined.

And those aren’t even the most subversive examples. Through couture techniques, deconstruction, or technical innovation, the Met Gala’s 2027 theme can (and probably will) also produce plenty of fashion moments that look nothing like jeans and a T-shirt. Kendall Jenner’s custom GapStudio design from last year’s event perfectly encapsulates this, transforming the brand’s signature white tee into a sculpted, statuesque statement inspired by Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Another take on this involves clothing that looks familiar, but is actually something else entirely. Few have done this more effectively (or perplexingly) than Bhavitha Mandava in Chanel for the 2026 Met Gala. Though it appeared as if her relaxed jeans and sheer polo top were straight off the rack, they were in fact painstakingly created through a trompe-l'œil technique, digitally printing a denim effect on silk muslin to give the illusion of a totally different material.

After such back and forth with next year’s theme, it feels good to officially land in a place where the looks can start taking shape. The exhibition itself, curated by Andrew Bolton, opens May 9, with the gala taking place the Monday prior, on May 3. While official hosts and co-chairs for fashion’s biggest night of the year have not yet been announced, the Instagram-sponsored event promises plenty of photo op moments — so expect the unexpected, and the extraordinary.