The 2027 Met Gala exhibition has yet to be announced, but Bob Mackie is still top of mind for next year's potential theme.
The gold standard of the fashion industry came out to New York City's American Museum of Natural History for the CFDA Fashion Awards on Monday, Nov. 2. Before entering the majestic event, often called the Oscars of American fashion, guests, including the evening's honorees, designers and stars, walked the white carpet held in the museum's main hall.
And as attendees like Pamela Anderson, Demi Moore, Matt Damon and Adriana Lima posed in their black tie, there was a another fashion event on the mind of the CFDA guests: the 2027 Met Gala.
At the end of
July, John Galliano was announced as the subject of the Costume Institute's 2027 spring exhibition and gala, but the theme was later canceled due to growing backlash over his past antisemitic and racist incidents. With no official announcement of a new exhibition, guests opened up about what they envision for the annual gala.
"I would love to see them honor Patrick Kelly," Sergio Hudson, who attended the event with Brandy Norwood, told USA TODAY of the groundbreaking Black designer who was beloved by clients such as Grace Jones and Madonna for work in the '70s and '80s. "Or Bob Mackie, one or the other."
Sharing Hudson's sentiments, Zac Posen, who took home the night's Amazon Fashion Innovation Award for Gap Inc., was also quick to say a simple, "Bob Mackie," when talking about the topic.
But a few guests, like Naomi Osaka, were stumped.
"I feel like there's so many amazing designers out there and it's a very big honor, so I'd have to think about it," said Osaka, who presented the accessory designer of the year award to Ana Khouri.
Meanwhile, Becky G joked about manifesting her first Met Gala invitation.
"I've never been, girl. So, I don't know, I'm manifesting. I'll be in the bathroom," she said referring to the event's famous, star-studded bathroom selfies.
Following Mackie's death and with the fallout from the canceled Galliano 2027 Met Gala and exhibition, fans across the internet have championed Mackie's legacy as the new theme. Stylist and image architectLaw Roach even cosigned the idea in an Emmys red-carpet interview."Bob would be so touched and it would be a fitting – it's what he deserves," Joe McFate, Mackie's his longtime design director, told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview in September. "But it would be hard at this point. I mean, it would be difficult to follow what's happened And again, we would be forced to rush things."
In addition to Met Gala chatter, Mackie's iconic work was a topic of conversation more generally during the evening, thanks to the event's host, Keke Palmer. On the carpet, the star glittered in a gold vintage Mackie gown previously worn by Raquel Welch before taking the stage inside the event.
If Mackie was honored with a Met Gala exhibition, it wouldn't be the first time the designer was involved in the Met Gala. In 2019, Mackie contributed to the "Camp: Notes on Fashion" exhibition, dressing Cher for her performance at the annual gala.
"Camp" was a fan-favorite Met Gala theme – think Lady Gaga's mid-staircase dramatic dress changes, Zendaya's illuminated Cinderella ball gown and Kim Kardashian's surrealist drop-crystal wet dress. Some CFDA guests said they'd love to see more of that same energy for next year.
"I feel like I want something like very, very crazy, very camp. So I don't know, whoever would give us that," influencer Alix Earle said. "Anything a little wild … The theme is wild."
"Love Island" alum Olandria Carthen added, "Just something like very mystical, ethereal, like something that's so out of this world."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's the Met Gala theme? Naomi Osaka, Olandria weigh in on dream possibilities
