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Published : 06 May 2026, 01:54 AM
Fashion’s biggest night is back, and this year, Vogue sets the tone for the Met Gala 2026 with a deceptively simple dress code: Fashion is Art.
For some, the theme may have been a little too forgiving, translated into literal interpretations. Think famous paintings splashed across capes and trailing gowns, with The Starry Night making more appearances than expected.
Many of the well-planned outfits tanked too, and yes, it is a dig at Lauren Sanchez’s abysmal iteration of John Singer Sargent’s Portrait of Madame X with Schiaparelli.
Beyond the fashion veterans, the Met Gala has quietly become something else for viewers like me: a space where South Asian craft, silhouettes, and storytelling find their way onto the world’s most scrutinised red carpet.
While I am still waiting to see Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka take up more space on those steps, India, of course, continues to carry the region on its very well-draped shoulders. But there’s something undeniably satisfying about spotting a silhouette, a technique, or a motif that feels closer to home.
Karan Johar
Bollywood’s biggest fashion made his Met debut with flair, volume, and zero interest in subtlety.
Donning a regal outfit created by his long-term friend Manish Malhotra, Karan showcased Raja Ravi Varma’s major works on his cape.
Unlike the numerous Van Gogh works getting lost in the creases, Manish Malhotra chose a structured silhouette to make sure none of the details get lost in movement.
In his exclusive behind-the-scenes chat with Diet Sabya, Karan said his outfit is more practical than meets the eye.
His elaborate cape will be dropped off at the Met’s cloakroom, which he called the “troubleshooting room”, after which he will be able to mingle freely in his inner Jodhpuri bandhgala, which also has snippets of Raja Ravi Varma’s work peeking through.
Manish Malhotra
Manish Malhotra’s black Jodhpuri bandhgala, much like his best friend’s, is a nod to the many Indian clothing silhouettes, while the designs show the process behind his creations.
A truly local to global design, it featured white hand-embroidered motifs of weavers busy at work, measuring tapes, and sewing machines, blooming across the garment like living patterns.
His Instagram carousel featured a photo where each of his white threaded frills extended to his artisan’s sewing machines, a true love letter to his origins.
Isha Ambani
Following in the Raja Ravi Varma theme, India’s richest heiress arrived in a Gourav Gupta saree, with his iconic stiff textile silhouette following the same veiling as the painting Padmini.
Isha’s outfit, however, was far more lavish, studded with her mother’s eye-watering collection of jewels, as well as sentimental pieces she received when her children were born, according to her interview with Vogue.
Her use of the Nizam of Hyderabad’s jewels as mere accessories may have been the essence of the Met Gala, where historical pieces often turn into fashion statements for the rich and “elite”.
The Subodh Gupta mango sculpture may have stirred up a storm in the fashion world, but to me, it seems much more like a desperate attempt to tie in the “artistic” theme with something Indian, and more importantly, an outlandish accessory that will have her trending for days.
Diya Mehta Jatia
Isha’s sister-in-law Shloka’s sister Diya (yes, that’s how entrenched I am in famous people’s lives) chose a more subdued look, bringing together West Bengal’s shola art with one of the most famous textiles from India, the Kanjivaram.
Her designer Mayur Girotra brought in a four-person shola-working team from Kolkata, led by artisan Pintu Molla, just to create a single dress.
In an interview with Diet Sabya, Pintu said shola work is as intricate as melding gold. However, he also divulged that the material used in Diya’s outfit was not shola, but a shola substitute, diluting the authenticity of the creation.
Natasha Poonawalla
Mrs Vaccine Natasha Poonawalla, a Met Gala regular, was somewhat disappointing this year.
Unlike the dazzling, vibrant Indian couture picked by most, Natasha opted for a custom Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda gown.
The all-white orchid-inspired look was paired with asymmetrical diamond earrings, but the only thing that wowed me was the size of the rocks on her ears.
Ananya Birla
In the long line of heiresses, we have another first-timer attending the Met: Ananya Birla.
Her Robern Wun gown was layered with a black blazer and collared shirt, a nod to her life running a business empire.
She followed suit with Isha, wearing another Sourabh Gupta creation as a headpiece: a steel mask constructed with everyday Indian utensils.
The outfit felt out of place in an art-focused theme, and may have created a riot had she debuted it during the 2016 Met Gala, with the Manus x Machina theme.
Sawai Padmanabh Singh, Princess Gauravi Kumari
The royal siblings of Jaipur came armed with stateliness and tradition in majestic Prabal Gurung outfits.
The Maharaja Padmanabh Singh donned a blue Rajasthani Phulgar coat that took 600 hours to complete, complemented with a black Bandhgala “steeped in their deep Rajasthani roots”, as he said in an Instagram post.
His sister’s outfit was inspired by the Maharani of Jaipur Gayatri Devi and her iconic pastel chiffon sarees. Gauravi chose pink to pay homage to the Pink City she calls home, paired with heirloom strings of pearls.
The duo have been seen in similar outfits many times, and while regal and poised, it was perhaps a little too safe for a night that thrives on risk.
Honourable mentions:
SZA: The American singer has been making headlines in India after clips of her singing Hindu hymns went viral. She channelled her “shiva shambhu” energy through the Met Gala, wearing a mustard yellow dress by Bode, created entirely out of reworked sarees.
Camila Mendes: The Riverdale star was dressed in a custom Manish Malhotra Couture gown, a reiteration of his ever-popular set sarees. According to the designer, the dress is inspired by Amrita Sher-Gil’s paintings, with the draped skirt resembling brush strokes, and the colour lifted from her deep mahogany-hued palette.
Vijay Varma: The method actor took film promotion to a new level, turning his new show into a Met moment with AI-generated visuals of his character walking the carpet. He posted photos of himself in a white shirt and white veshti, posing as Brij Bhatti on the Met carpet, with the hashtag #MetKaKing, a play on the title of his new series.
