The 2017 Met Gala Has a Very Mysterious Theme

The first Monday in May is a very special day for fashion lovers and red-carpet stalkers. (We're both, and we're proud.) Each year, the Met Gala serves up an astonishing array of red-carpet fashion, which sometimes reflects that year's theme. Except if you're Kanye. Then you can just wear "vibes."

This year, the glittering bash had a futuristic "Manus x Machina" theme that saw lots of silvery, robotic styles sashaying up the steps to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But next year, celebrities may opt for more avant-garde ensembles. Ready for this?

The just-announced theme for the 2017 gala is Rei Kawakubo. The edgy, mysterious designer behind Japanese label Comme des Garçons has always been a tough nut to crack; she recently explored the concept of "invisible clothes." (We'd show you a picture. But...)

The gala will coincide with the opening of an exhibition devoted to the elusive designer. It's rare that the museum focuses on one, living designer—the last time was in the eighties, with an exhibit devoted to Yves Saint Laurent—and Rei Kawakubo is lesser known than some of the artists that have been celebrated in the past. 

Still, Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton has wanted to stage an exhibition devoted to her for some time. He told The New York Times that he's interested in making a statement that "fashion is a living art," and also said: "There are very few designers working today who can really hold their own in an art context, but Rei is one of them. She has changed the course of fashion by offering new possibilities for its very meaning.” We can't wait to see what people wear to this one—especially Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams, who will act as the gala's celebrity co-hosts.