The Met Gala is one of the biggest nights in fashion – and last night was no exception. The overall theme for the 2026 Met Gala was “Costume Art,” and the dress code was “Fashion is Art”. Something I wanted to highlight from the Gala was the Indian fashion. Indian fashion has been earning its well-deserved recognition in both the Western and global fashion arenas, but it has not always gotten the credit it deserves. Indian fashion is extremely diverse, made of beautiful fabrics, vibrant colors, and incredibly detailed embroidery. Let us do a deep dive into some of the amazing looks showcased at the Met Gala. 

One of my favorite looks was that of Karan Johar, a filmmaker. Johar wore a jacket featuring hand-painted visuals inspired by the Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma. The artists spent 5,600 hours bringing this vision to life. The paintings depicted men and women in traditional Indian clothing and jewelry. As a filmmaker, Johar understands the importance of telling a story through visuals, and his Met Gala debut was no exception. Another look that I loved was Manish Malhotra’s, a fashion designer. He wore a black bandhgala suit with an elaborate cape that featured mini sculptures and embroidery of Mumbai landmarks and other aspects of Mumbai city life. Additionally, the artists who worked on the outfit had their signatures embroidered into the cape as well, showing the people behind the scenes. Another showstopper look from last night was from Sudha Reddy, a businesswoman and philanthropist. Her outfit was inspired by the Tree of Life painted in the Kalamkari style, a painting style that originated in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Kalamkari is typically painted on fabrics, so including it on the outfit is right on theme in many aspects.

Indian fashion is finally getting its moment on the global stage. Indian fashion is truly unique and diverse, with so many intricate and beautiful stylistic qualities – making it art in its own right.