Date: May 4, 2026 | Venue: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York | Theme: Costume Art
The Met Gala 2026 was one for the books. Co-chaired by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, this year’s theme “Costume Art” celebrated the deep connection between fashion and fine art. And no one interpreted it more powerfully than India’s glittering contingent, who brought 5,000 years of craft, heritage, and storytelling to the world’s biggest fashion stage.
🇮🇳 Indian Celebrities at Met Gala 2026
1. Karan Johar
Karan Johar in black bandhgala + six-foot hand-painted cape by Manish Malhotra Designer: Manish Malhotra Making his Met debut, Karan wore a dramatic black bandhgala with a sweeping hand-painted cape inspired by legendary Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma. The masterpiece took over 5,600 hours to create and featured zardozi borders, lotus motifs, and 3D architectural pillars. One of the most talked-about looks of the night.
2. Isha Ambani
Isha Ambani in Gaurav Gupta gold Banarasi saree with Pichwai art and diamond blouse Designer: Gaurav Gupta x Swadesh Attending for the sixth time, Isha stole the show in a handwoven gold Banarasi tissue saree with 150 hours of hand-painted Pichwai art. Her blouse was encrusted with over 1,800 carats of diamonds from Nita Ambani’s heirloom collection. She also carried a mango sculpture by artist Subodh Gupta — a cheeky nod to Indian culture.
3. Manish Malhotra
Manish Malhotra in black bandhgala with Mumbai artisan tribute cape Designer: Self-designed The designer wore a black bandhgala beneath a cape embroidered with artisan signatures, Mumbai landmarks — Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, CST — and scenes of city life. It took 960 hours to make and was a tribute to the craftspeople behind Indian fashion.
4. Ananya Birla
Ananya Birla in black Robert Wun ballgown with full-face steel mask by Subodh Gupta Designer: Robert Wun | Stylist: Rhea Kapoor Ananya made a stunning debut in a structured black ballgown, but her full-face stainless steel mask — crafted from Indian kitchen cutlery by artist Subodh Gupta — was what broke the internet. Fashion as sculpture at its finest.
5. Sudha Reddy
Sudha Reddy in Manish Malhotra Kalamkari “Tree of Life” gown with tanzanite necklace Designer: Manish Malhotra The Hyderabad philanthropist wore a black ball gown with an embroidered Kalamkari cape featuring the Tree of Life motif. The look involved 90 artisans and 3,459 hours of work. Her jewellery — a rare tanzanite necklace — was valued at an estimated $15 million.
6. Princess Gauravi Kumari & Sawai Padmanabh Singh
Jaipur royals in Prabal Gurung — vintage Gayatri Devi saree-gown and velvet zardozi coat Designer: Prabal Gurung The Jaipur royals stole hearts with their debut. Princess Gauravi wore her grandmother Maharani Gayatri Devi’s vintage chiffon saree reimagined as a gown, adorned with royal pearls and diamonds. The Maharaja wore a velvet coat with intricate zardozi embroidery.
7. Natasha Poonawalla
Natasha Poonawalla at Met Gala 2026 red carpet A regular at the Met Gala, Natasha continued her tradition of championing Indian couture on the global stage with a stunning red carpet appearance.
8. Mona Patel
Mona Patel in gold and white architectural gown Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, Mona arrived in a structured gold and white couture gown with a conceptual cape — a perfect blend of philosophy, geometry, and fashion.
9. Diya Mehta Jatia
Diya Mehta Jatia in Mayyur Girotra Kanjivaram and shola work debut gown Designer: Mayyur Girotra Making her Met debut, Diya wore a stunning gown combining Kanjivaram silk from Tamil Nadu with shola craft from Bengal — a beautiful tribute to India’s diverse textile heritage.
