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John Galliano attends The 2019 Met Gala. getty
Fashion
Met Gala unveils new 2027 theme following controversy over John Galliano
The Galliano retrospective was scrapped after backlash over the designer’s past antisemitic remarks.
NEW YORK’S METROPOLITAN Museum of Art has announced a new theme for next year’s Met Gala, following controversy surrounding top designer John Galliano.
The new exhibition, titled extraORDINARY “will examine how design reveals unexpected possibilities within everyday things”, the renowned New York museum said in a press release.
Both the exhibition and the high-profile red carpet event that accompanies it will show how designers can transform ordinary materials into works of art.
Over the years, Met Gala themes have celebrated some of fashion’s most influential designers, from Alexander McQueen to Karl Lagerfeld.
This year’s planned John Galliano retrospective was scrapped in August following backlash from donors and political figures over the designer’s past antisemitic remarks.
“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 65-year-old wrote on Instagram.
“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,” he added.
A French court convicted Galliano in 2011 of making racist and antisemitic comments, after he hurled Jewish and Asian slurs at a Paris bar.
When the incident surfaced, the British designer was fired from his role as creative director of Dior.
He eventually went on to serve as creative director of fashion house Maison Margiela for a decade before leaving in 2024.
In March 2026, he announced a two-year artistic partnership with Spanish fashion retailer Zara.
The Met’s annual Costume Institute exhibition is largely funded by its star-studded gala, which draws leading figures from fashion and entertainment.
The 2027 edition of the event is scheduled for 3 May.
Last year’s gala saw billionaire owner of Amazon Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, contribute a reported $10 million (€8.5 million) to sponsor the event.
Amazon, Meta, OpenAI and Snapchat all purchased tables at $350,000 (€297,000) each, the first time multiple major tech companies occupied the same room at the same event.
With reporting from AFP
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