Less controversial, more ‘extraOrdinary’

Two months after The Metropolitan Museum of Art and John Galliano jointly announced in August that the planned exhibition dedicated to the designer would not go ahead, anticipation had been building around what would replace it. The wait ended last week, when The Met unveiled its Spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition, titled “extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday”. Moving away from the couture grandeur of the Met Gala, the new theme turns the spotlight on the beauty of the everyday, exploring how designers transform familiar garments such as jeans, T-shirts and puffer coats into extraordinary creations. Basically (pun intended), you could walk into an exhibition of this stature wearing nothing more than a simple white T-shirt and jeans, and fit right in!BACKGROUNDThe Costume Institute’s original plan for 2027 was to stage a retrospective of John Galliano’s work. However, the proposal faced opposition from donors, politicians and Jewish leaders in New York City. The criticism centred on Galliano’s 2011 conviction in France over antisemitic and racist remarks. Some donors reportedly approached Met executives and threatened to withdraw their financial support if the retrospective went ahead.Following the backlash, Galliano issued a statement that read, “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 Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced its Spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition, extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday, exploring how everyday garments and objects can be reimagined as high fashion. Think blue denim, white T-shirts and puffer jackets, alongside paper, plastic, metal and bubblewrap, transformed into new creations.TOO ORDINARY, NOT REALLY!The Costume Institute offered a glimpse of the theme through archival looks shared on Instagram, including a deconstructed sweatsuit with a dramatic gold train from Jun Takahashi’s Undercover Fall/Winter 2024-25 collection; layered flannel plaids, striped slip dresses and combat boots from Marc Jacobs’ Perry Ellis Spring 1993 ‘Grunge’ collection; and a tan trench coat draped backwards to frame a metal breastplate from Jonathan Anderson’s Loewe Spring/Summer 2022 collection. These are among the historical looks expected to feature in the exhibition. The looks highlight how designers have turned everyday clothing and familiar objects into works of art. Exploring the extraordinary possibilities of the mundane, the exhibition will open on May 9, 2027, following the Met Gala on the preceding Monday.A nod to Chanel’s Métiers d’Art subway show, Bhavitha Mandava’s Met Gala look was designed by Matthieu Blazy. What appeared to be a casual denim-and-sweater ensemble was, in fact, an intricately hand-crafted trompe l’œil creation.Actress Cate Blanchett's 2024 red-carpet look by Swedish sustainable label Hodakova offers an example of how everyday objects can be elevated into high fashion. Her halter top and suit, embellished with antique silver spoons, resonate with the Met's Spring 2027 theme of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.JEANS & T-SHIRTS COULD BE THE STARS OF MET GALA 2027Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s curator in charge, said he hopes visitors will attend the exhibition wearing their own versions of jeans, T-shirts and jackets. “I want visitors to leave looking differently at the clothes they arrived in... With a greater sense of what is worth noticing, valuing and caring for,” he said. That said, the gala’s dress code is still under wraps, although Bolton’s statement could hint at a dress code inspired by the exhibition’s theme. According to The New York Times, the exhibition will feature 200 to 230 pieces, around 30 to 40 per cent of which will come from the museum’s own collection, with the rest donated or loaned by fashion houses.The cancellation of the Galliano show was disappointing for everyone involved... I committed myself to this (theme) really quickly because it brings up ideas of value and consumption and resourcefulnessTHE INTERNET HAS ITS SAYWhile some netizens have called the theme boring, others see it as a sign of a recession. Some have questioned why the museum did not instead honour another major fashion name the world has recently lost. While critics and fashion commentators are curious to see how everyday clothing will be reimagined, they are also questioning whether the theme is a creative choice or an attempt at reputation management, with some suggesting the Met is playing it safe following the backlash over its original plans.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ testGet the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.