As the world’s eyes turned to the Met Gala 2025 with this year’s theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”, it provided a canvas for showcasing the fusion of Indian craftsmanship with contemporary fashion. Shah Rukh Khan’s bold debut to Diljit Dosanjh’s elegance- the event became a canvas showcasing India’s rich heritage, from traditional suits to avant-garde fusion.
The Met Gala 2025 took place at its iconic venue, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. In the spotlight were Indian stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Diljit Dosanjh, Kiara Advani, and Priyanka Chopra, along with designers such as Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Manish Malhotra.
SRK marked his first Met Gala event with an all-black Sabyasachi suit, paired with jewelry and a large “K” pendant, completed with dark shades and black leather boots. He carried a cane with a gold Bengal tiger head, encrusted with gems like sapphires and tourmalines. In contrast, Sabyasachi’s own outfit effortlessly blended colors, arguably creating a better ensemble than he designed for the Badshah of Bollywood.
SRK appeared comfortable in his outfit. But Sabyasachi’s attire was more fitting for the Met Gala. “If I had been given the chance to design SRK’s outfit, I would have chosen jewelry that reflected his aura instead of a big K” said Anya Pal, a Fashion Communication student at AAFT.
“Whereas, if you look at Mona Patel, she combined her outfit, also all black, but the execution was impeccable. She had a moving element on her back, which showed exaggeration perfectly fitting for the Met Gala. She also had a robot dog, walked it on a leash like a real dog, and later turned it into a bag. The execution was perfect,” she added.
Diljit Dosanjh also made his debut and fully embraced his royal Indian side on the Met Gala red carpet, wearing an Atelier Prabal Gurung off-white Punjabi suit with hand-embroidered details like a moon and a sun, along with a matching jewel-studded turban with a feather. His cape featured the map of Punjab with Gurmukhi script embroidered on it. To complete the look, he carried the Kirpan (a sacred small knife that is one of the five Ks of a Sikh), adding a final touch of royalty.
The look was inspired by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, the ruler of the princely state of Patiala. His neckpiece was inspired by the iconic Patiala Necklace, created by Cartier, a French-based jewelry brand nearly a century ago. “I loved Diljit Dosanjh’s outfit; it was very well done with intricate designs and accessories,” Anya noted.
The mom-to-be, Kiara, also attended the Met Gala event with a golden breastplate designed by Gaurav Gupta. If we compare this to Rihanna, who also attended the event with a baby bump and announced her third pregnancy, her outfit was very well detailed and had a layered approach. She wore a black cropped woolen jacket and a black striped skirt by Marc Jacobs. She finished her Met Gala look with a black hat, created in collaboration with Stephen Jones, and a burgundy polka-dot tie. Finally, her Cartier jewelry enhanced the look.
Gaurav Gupta’s breastplate design is about five years old, and many other celebrities have worn it. He should have come up with a different design, as this event is all about art and the artist. Repetition of art without any customization is like a death wish at these types of events, especially since he is known for creating some of the most unique and creative designs in India.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas arrived in a white polka-dot costume, created by Olivier Rousteing of Balmain, which netizens noted had similarities to her “Don” movie dress. It was her fifth appearance and her personality and chemistry with the red carpet were perfect.
However, the points for showcasing culture go to Natasha Poonawalla. Her attire was filled with elements from her Parsi community, with Gara embroidery and motifs of birds, animals, and nature. She not only took her cultural legacy to the world stage at the Met Gala but also showed that India is not only about saris and lehengas. Her outfit was designed by Manish Malhotra, who made his Met debut in a custom layered suit combined with a sherwani with embroidery, and more meticulous brooches in a black costume with a white shirt.
At the fundraising event, Mukesh Ambani’s daughter Isha Ambani also raised the creativity level with a specially designed outfit by Anamika Khanna that celebrated Indian craftsmanship, featuring a handwoven Benarasi train. Celebrity stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania styled her look, which was highlighted by a vintage Cartier necklace that once belonged to the Maharaja of Nawanagar.
While Diljit once again won the hearts of the world with his creativity and style-ranking at the top in Vogue’s poll, Natasha Poonawalla showed what true cultural integration looks like, and Mona Patel combined her ensemble with tech to shock the entire Met Gala.
