At the Met Gala 2026 in New York, Indian art, craft and heritage dominated the red carpet as celebrities and designers presented elaborate looks under the Costume Institute’s theme “Costume Art” and the dress code “Fashion is Art.” The night saw a wide-ranging celebration of Indian aesthetics — from Raja Ravi Varma and Ajanta cave frescoes to contemporary artist Subodh Gupta — realised through traditional crafts such as zardozi, ari, dabka, kalamkari and Bengal’s shola work.
Several high-profile Indian figures collaborated with artisans on intensely detailed ensembles that took hundreds to thousands of hours to make. Industrialist Isha Ambani wore a sari-inspired creation by Gaurav Gupta embellished with more than 1,000 diamonds and 1,800 carats of gemstones and motifs drawn from Ajanta frescoes. Sudha Reddy appeared in a regal lehenga paired with a reported USD 15 million diamond-and-tanzanite necklace.
Ananya Birla teamed up with artist Subodh Gupta and designer Robert Wun, wearing a sculptural stainless-steel mask meant to symbolise strength and anonymity. Filmmaker Karan Johar made his debut in a cape by Manish Malhotra that referenced Ravi Varma’s paintings; the piece was developed over some 5,600 hours with more than 50 artisans. Designer Manish Malhotra himself wore an embroidered bandhgala cape featuring artisan signatures, while fashion consultant Diya Mehta Jatia highlighted Bengal’s shola craft in her ensemble.
Members of Jaipur’s royal family, including Gauravi Kumari and Sawai Padmanabh Singh, drew on royal wardrobes with nods to Maharani Gayatri Devi. Philanthropist Natasha Poonawala chose a sculptural, orchid-inspired gown by Marc Quinn in collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana, further underscoring the evening’s fusion of textile, sculpture, embroidery and painting.
The invitation-only gala, co-chaired this year by Beyoncé, Venus Williams, Nicole Kidman and Anna Wintour, is a major fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute; tickets are reported to cost around USD 100,000 per person. While praised as a cultural spectacle and a platform for living craft, the event also attracted criticism over sponsorship controversies involving Amazon leadership and concerns about labour practices. Overall, Indian participation at the Met Gala turned the red carpet into a showcase of living art and cultural storytelling. (PTI)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/05/06/indian-art-and-craft-make-a-splash-at-met-gala/
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Publish Date: 2026-05-06 05:54:00
