Why Indian craft dominated the Met Gala 2026 conversation

For decades, India’s craft traditions have quietly shaped the language of global luxury, often referenced, occasionally replicated, but rarely centred. At the Met Gala 2026, that dynamic felt notably different. With this year’s exhibition, 'Costume Art' and the dress code 'Fashion Is Art', the evening called for more than aesthetic excellence—it demanded narrative, authorship, and intention. Indian designers and cultural figures responded with remarkable clarity, presenting craft not merely as embellishment, but as art in its own right. Across the red carpet, textiles, techniques, and traditions were reimagined through a contemporary lens, positioning India’s design language at the intersection of heritage and global artistic discourse.

Cinematic Craft: Karan Johar x Manish Malhotra

Karan Johar marked a significant debut, stepping onto the carpet in a look by Manish Malhotra that translated painterly heritage into couture. Drawing from the visual richness of Raja Ravi Varma's paintings, the ensemble merged draped forms with intricate surface detailing, bringing together cinema, storytelling, and textile craft in a way that felt deeply personal yet globally legible.

The Atelier as Narrative: Manish Malhotra

Malhotra himself approached the evening with a more introspective lens. His Bandhgala-and-cape ensemble placed the spotlight firmly on the artisans behind the work. Embroidery techniques such as zardozi, chikankari, dori, and kasab unfolded across the surface, while the inclusion of signatures and miniature depictions of karigars transformed the garment into a living archive of labour and legacy, rooted in Mumbai’s cultural landscape.

Textile Opulence: Isha Ambani in Gaurav Gupta

Isha Ambani’s appearance in a custom Gaurav Gupta offered a study in textile and ornamentation. Styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania, the look centred around a sari woven with pure gold threads, layered with hand-painted pichwai-inspired motifs in earthy tones and enriched with intricate zardozi, aari, and relief embroidery. Crafted over more than 1,200 hours by a team of over 50 artisans, the piece balanced scale with precision.

The bodice introduced a more concentrated intensity, encrusted with over 200 old mine-cut diamonds drawn from Nita Ambani’s personal collection and realised in collaboration with Kantilal Chhotalal. Jewellery played a defining role: layered diamond necklaces exceeding 250 carats, haathphools extending across the hands, and diamond waist belts tracing the drape of the sari. Completing the look was a sculptural mango accessory by Subodh Gupta, a subtle yet striking nod to heritage, turning the idea of art into something both symbolic and tangible.

Royal Archives Reimagined: Gauravi Kumari and Sawai Padmanabh Singh

A more archival approach unfolded with Gauravi Kumari and Sawai Padmanabh Singh, both dressed by Prabal Gurung. Kumari’s ensemble drew directly from her grandmother, Maharani Gayatri Devi, incorporating an original chiffon sari into the construction of the gown itself. The soft pink textile, selected for its subtle self-sequins and personal resonance with Jaipur, was reworked through precise internal structuring, allowing the drape to retain its natural fluidity while taking on a more defined, contemporary silhouette. Pearls formed the core of the jewellery story, layered at the neck and sourced from The Gem Palace, paired with uncut diamonds and rubies that echoed the understated elegance long associated with Gayatri Devi’s style.

Singh, meanwhile, turned to a regional form with the phulgar coat, developed in deep velvet and quilted with cotton for structure. Realised in Jaipur by artisans Yash and Ashima Tholia and their team, the piece took over 600 hours to complete, with intricate aari and zardozi embroidery further detailed with dabka and resham work. The result was a richly textured garment that balanced regal heritage with contemporary tailoring, bringing a distinctly Indian narrative of craftsmanship to the global stage.

Art as Adornment: Subodh Gupta

Art, too, played a central role in expanding the idea of craft. Subodh Gupta’s sculptural interventions—seen across both wearable pieces and accessories —reimagined everyday Indian objects as conceptual couture. His work blurred the line between utility and symbolism, offering a more experimental interpretation of what Indian craftsmanship can signify today.

For Ananya Birla, this translated into a striking sculptural mask created in collaboration with her couture look—crafted from stainless steel and acrylic, and composed using traditional Indian silverware forms. The piece functioned as both armour and adornment, transforming familiar domestic objects into something avant-garde and almost otherworldly.

For Isha Ambani, Gupta’s work appeared as a mango-shaped sculpture—an object rooted in cultural symbolism yet elevated into art. Carried as a handheld accessory within a custom crochet bag, the piece offered a literal yet layered interpretation of the evening’s theme, turning a familiar Indian motif into a collectible, conceptual object. Together, these works highlighted how Gupta’s practice moves beyond decoration, positioning Indian visual culture within a global, contemporary art dialogue.

Global Styling with Indian Detailing: Rihanna in Gem Palace

Elsewhere, global names turned to Indian ateliers for finishing touches. Rihanna incorporated jewellery from Gem Palace into her look, wearing rings and bracelets from the Jaipur house’s iconic Victorian collection to this year’s Met Gala. The choice reinforced the enduring relevance of Indian gemstones and craftsmanship in international styling narratives, seamlessly integrating heritage jewellery into a contemporary, global red-carpet moment.

Myth and Material: Sudha Reddy in Manish Malhotra

The conversation continued with Sudha Reddy, who wore a Manish Malhotra creation inspired by the Tree of Life, rooted in the centuries-old Kalamkari tradition. Known for its use of natural dyes and intricate, hand-painted narratives, the craft formed the conceptual backbone of the look, connecting mythology, nature, and cosmology through detailed surface work.

The ensemble translated this heritage into couture through layered textiles, painterly motifs, and fine embroidery, adding depth and dimension. Anchored in references to Hyderabad and Telangana, the piece carried a strong sense of place while reworking a traditional storytelling format into something more expansive and contemporary. Elevated further with statement jewellery, including a striking tanzanite necklace—the look balanced artisanal detail with high-impact glamour, positioning Kalamkari within a global fashion context.

Craft Revival: Diya Mehta Jatia in Mayyur Girotra

Diya Mehta Jatia’s look by Mayyur Girotra brought the endangered Shola craft of Bengal into focus, combining it with a Kanjeevaram textile base. Traditionally known as “vegetable ivory,” Shola has long been used by Bengali artisans for ceremonial headpieces and intricate ritual décor, but its fragility has limited its presence in contemporary fashion.

Here, the craft was thoughtfully reinterpreted in a more durable, sustainable medium, preserving the same hand techniques while enabling a structured, red-carpet–ready silhouette. Developed in close collaboration with artisan clusters in Kolkata, the piece layered sculptural Shola-inspired forms over a richly woven Kanjeevaram created with real gold and silver threads. Drawing subtle cues from Baroque and architectural detailing, the garment moved beyond surface embellishment, instead building volume and texture through craft itself. The result was a cross-regional dialogue—bringing together Bengal’s delicate handwork and South India’s textile legacy—positioned not as preservation, but as evolution through design.

After-Hours Statement: Ananya Birla 

Even beyond the main carpet, Indian design continued to command attention. Ananya Birla’s after-party look leaned into a more experimental, high-shine direction. Wearing a sculptural couture ensemble by Ashi Studio, the metallic silhouette evoked the idea of a living bronze form, fluid yet structured, with a molten, almost liquid-like finish. The look was elevated with bespoke pieces from Raniek Jewels, including yellow and cognac diamonds that amplified its depth and richness. It was a striking continuation of the evening’s artistic narrative, translating the theme into a bold, contemporary after-hours statement.

New-Age Presence: Kartik Research

A quieter but equally significant moment came through figures like Adam Mosseri, who stepped out in a look by Kartik Research. Known for its thoughtful approach to textiles and slow craftsmanship, the label represents a new generation of Indian design, one that prioritises material innovation, detailing, and cultural nuance over overt spectacle. Its presence on the global stage signalled a growing international interest in contemporary Indian labels that operate at the intersection of craft and modernity.

What unfolded at the Met Gala 2026 was not a singular moment, but a collective shift. Indian craftsmanship appeared not only as a reference but as an origin, driving conversations across fashion, art, and identity. From heritage textiles to experimental forms, the spectrum on display reflected a country whose design language continues to evolve without losing its depth. If anything, this year’s red carpet made one thing clear: Indian craft is no longer entering the global stage—it is actively shaping it.

Image credits: Getty Images 

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