Met Gala 2026: How Indian Celebs Stole The Show At Fashion’s Biggest Night. See Pics
From Karan Johar's Raja Ravi Varma-inspired debut to Isha Ambani's gold-threaded saree, Indian celebrities brought heritage and craftsmanship to the Met Gala 2026.
The 2026 Met Gala returned to the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, drawing the world’s biggest names to celebrate this year’s theme, ‘Costume Art’. The prestigious red carpet transformed into a grand canvas where global fashion converged with profound artistic expression. This year, Indian and South Asian celebrities made a formidable impact, amplifying the rise of desi couture on the global stage. From centuries-old weaving techniques and royal heirloom garments to avant-garde structural artistry, these icons brought Indian heritage, intricate craftsmanship, and high-drama contemporary design directly to the fashion world's biggest night.
Filmmaker Karan Johar’s look was among the most anticipated Indian appearances this year, and it did not disappoint. Isha Ambani, Ananya Birla and Manish Malhotra also stole the limelight at this year’s Met Gala.
Without further ado, check out their looks here:
1. Karan Johar: Making his highly anticipated Met Gala debut, filmmaker Karan Johar brought the art of legendary painter Raja Ravi Varma to life. Designed by Manish Malhotra and styled by Eka Lakhani, his custom couture translated the painter's visual imagery directly onto the fabric. The intricately detailed, hand-painted ensemble was adorned with traditional zardozi borders, three-dimensional pillars, lotuses, and swans, complete with a beautifully hand-painted jacket lining. Karan Johar noted that he wanted his debut look to feel deeply personal, explaining that Ravi Varma's work reflects the imagery he has grown up seeing and feeling.
2. Isha Ambani: Businesswoman Isha Ambani spotlighted Indian craftsmanship in a striking, custom-made Gaurav Gupta saree-gown that transformed traditional fabric into a sculptural couture statement. Crafted over 1,200 hours by more than 50 artisans, the handwoven gold tissue saree featured pure gold threads and was styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania. The garment drew deep historical references, with its border hand-painted by artisans from Swadesh and inspired by ancient Ajanta frescoes – some of the earliest visual references to the saree in Indian art. Adding an architectural dimension, a resin-draped cape framed the silhouette like a halo, folding and preserving the gold tissue into a fluid structure.
At the heart of the ensemble was a breathtaking jewellery-integrated blouse, fully embellished with intricate zardozi embroidery and over 1,800 carats of diamonds. The bodice was conceptualised by her mother, Nita Ambani, and featured heirloom stones from her private collection, including emeralds, polki, kundan, and over 200 old mine-cut diamonds hand-stitched into the structure. She completed the look with layered diamond necklaces, haathphools extending across her hands, diamond waist belts tracing the drape, and an unexpected artistic finishing touch: a hand-carried mango sculpture by Subodh Gupta.
3. Manish Malhotra: The renowned fashion designer walked the red carpet for his second consecutive appearance and placed his atelier directly in the spotlight. He wore a classic Indian bandhgala layered with a dramatic, deeply personal cape that served as a heartfelt tribute to his work family and his journey in Mumbai. The striking cape incorporated an array of traditional embroidery techniques, including dori, zardozi, chikankari, and kasab. Most notably, the piece was beautifully embroidered with the names and signatures of the karigars (artisans) who contributed to his work and crafted his designs for decades.
4. Ananya Birla: Entrepreneur and artist Ananya Birla made a dramatic Met Gala debut by blending workwear, sculpture, and personal inheritance into one frame. Styled by Rhea Kapoor, she wore bold, black cinematic couture by Robert Wun, featuring a sharply tailored blazer and a voluminous pleated ballroom skirt. However, the defining element of the look was her metallic face mask, designed by acclaimed Indian contemporary artist Subodh Gupta. Known for his transformation of everyday Indian objects into high art, Subodh Gupta's mask stole the spotlight, adding an unconventional edge and shifting the focus squarely onto structure and form.
5. Princess Gauravi Kumari: Bringing Jaipur's rich royal heritage to New York, Princess Gauravi Kumari wore an ensemble that carried a deeply personal, direct legacy. Designed by Prabal Gurung, her look incorporated a delicate chiffon saree that originally belonged to her grandmother, Maharani Gayatri Devi. Rather than merely referencing or recreating the fabric, the original heirloom saree was worked seamlessly into a modern gown. The design carefully retained the natural drape of the chiffon, holding its line across the body while still allowing for graceful movement, honouring the exact way the fabric behaves when worn.
Maharaja and Princess Of Jaipur STUN in custom Prabal Gurung for #MetGala pic.twitter.com/HUTRlRR0Gs
— hks (@kohlimax1833) May 4, 2026
6. Sawai Padmanabh Singh: The Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Padmanabh Singh, accompanied his sister in a regal, intricately embroidered coat rooted heavily in Rajasthani craftsmanship. Developed with Prabal Gurung and realized in Jaipur by Yash and Ashima Tholia along with their team, the piece was constructed in deep velvet and quilted with cotton. It took over 600 hours to complete the dense aari and zardozi embroidery, elegantly finished with delicate dabka and resham detailing to present tradition in a way that felt authentic.
7. Natasha Poonawalla: Never one to shy away from avant-garde fashion, Natasha Poonawalla wore a striking wearable sculpture crafted by British visual artist Marc Quinn. The metallic art piece, titled the ‘Orchid Pectoral’, served as an elaborate, rigid bodice and was seamlessly paired with a flowing white couture gown by Italian luxury house Domenico Dolce, perfectly aligning with the overarching theme of fashion as a structural art form.
Natasha Poonawalla attends the Met Gala 2026 🤍#Natasha #NatashaPoonawalla pic.twitter.com/iwQmUHQmHE
— WV - Media (@wvmediaa) May 5, 2026
8. Sudha Reddy: Philanthropist Sudha Reddy carried Indian cultural symbolism to the global platform in a stunning Manish Malhotra creation. Styled by Mariel Haenn, her ensemble was intricately built around the ‘Tree of Life’, a motif drawn directly from the Kalamkari traditions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Featuring detailed zardozi and resham embroidery, the look was a tribute to her origins, with Sudha Reddy noting that Hyderabad is not just where she is from, but her “way of being”.
9. Simone Ashley: British-Indian actor Simone Ashley brought a modern, statuesque edge to the evening's red carpet. Moving away from traditional fabrics altogether, she stepped out in a striking Stella McCartney minidress crafted entirely out of draped silver chains that cascaded fluidly across her body.
Simone Ashley attends the 2026 Met Gala wearing Stella McCartney. pic.twitter.com/2fRw12J8oa
— L’avoir Magazine (@lavoirmagazine) May 5, 2026
10. Diya Mehta Jatia: Diya Mehta Jatia spotlighted the delicate Shola craft of West Bengal in an intricate ensemble by Mayyur Girotra. Her look elegantly layered Baroque and French architectural influences – including elaborate carvings and sculptural reliefs – over a traditional Kanjivaram foundation that was expertly crafted from real gold and silver threads.
The 2026 Met Gala beautifully served as a pivotal moment for Indian representation, moving beyond mere presence to a profound display of cultural authority and artistic narrative. By seamlessly blending centuries-old artisanal techniques – like the Shola craft of West Bengal and Raja Ravi Varma’s iconic visual legacy – with cutting-edge couture, these stars proved that Indian fashion is an enduring art form. These appearances underscored a new era where heritage is not just preserved in museums, but lived and breathed on the world’s most prestigious stages, leaving an indelible mark on the global fashion landscape.
The Met Gala 2026 also saw attendance from several international stars, including Anne Hathaway, Margot Robbie, Sydney Sweeney, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Blake Lively.
