Met Gala 2024: Why Indian fashion designers are sorely missing from the scene

the met gala

How have Indian fashion designers fared at the Met Gala over the years? (Source: Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone/ Instagram)

The Met Gala.

The mere mention of these words conjure up images of extravagance in our minds. It’s a night where fashion ascends to the level of high art, and celebrities transform into living, breathing masterpieces.

Held on the first Monday of May every year, this spectacle serves as the grand opening celebration for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, solidifying fashion’s rightful place within artistic discourse. Whether you’re a devotee of the fashion world, a pop culture enthusiast, or someone simply captivated by the intersection of art and celebrity, the Met Gala is an event that enthralls.

Over the last few years, Indian celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Isha Ambani, Deepika Padukone, and Alia Bhatt have been elevating the country’s profile on this global stage. Yet, amid the feathered fantasies and sequined creations, our rich sartorial tradition remains largely absent.

According to designer Ridhi Mehra, India’s visibility at the Met Gala has been limited, with a few celebrities donning traditional Indian attire or accessories because there may be lingering perceptions or stereotypes about Indian fashion being limited to traditional attire or ethnic wear. “While Indian fashion is incredibly diverse and innovative, overcoming these perceptions on a global scale can take time and concerted effort from both designers and industry stakeholders,” Mehra said.

But, that is not to say representation is completely missing.

In 2019, the theme Camp: Notes on Fashion, inspired by Susan Sontag’s essay, seemed tailor-made for the flamboyant creations of designer Manish Arora. His signature style, known for its extravagance and vibrancy, perfectly captured the essence of ‘camp’. Arora didn’t disappoint — dressing Australian actor Keiynan Lonsdale in a dazzling gown adorned with 1,500 hand-embroidered butterflies in his signature psychedelic colours, all flowing from a neon green full-sleeved bodice. The cherry on top? Arora’s iconic circus dress was even displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibit that year — a true high point for any designer.

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Manish Arora’s burst of colours for the Camp-themed 2019 Met Gala. (Source: Manish Arora/ Instagram)

For 2022’s In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, we witnessed socialite Natasha Poonawalla draped in a bespoke gold sari by designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. This marked a historic first—and only—appearance of a sari at the Met Gala. Naomi Campbell, however, did wear a rare sari-inspired archival Chanel look for 2023’s theme in honour of Karl Lagerfeld.

Poonawalla’s meticulously embroidered diaphanous number wasn’t just a nod to the theme of Guilded Glamour, but also a showcase of impeccable Indian craftsmanship, envisioned by Sabyasachi himself.

These instances highlight the growing recognition of Indian fashion on the global stage, proving it can not only keep pace with international trends, but also add a unique perspective to the world of high fashion. So, why are creations by Indian designers on the Met Gala red carpet still few and far-between? The answer is much more tedha than kurkure.

Sunil Sethi, the chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), is confident in the talent and creativity of Indian designers. “Creating bespoke garments is something we’ve been doing for generations. Many Indian fashion designers have already tasted success with Cannes, how is the Met Gala any different, creatively? Handmade tailoring may be getting less famous in the rest of the world, but in India? Never,” Sethi said. A mere look at your Instagram ‘Explore’ page housing Indian fashion influencers and their favourite local darzi will tell you Sethi has hit the nail on the head.

Indian fashion boasts a heritage stretching back millennia. From the meticulous embroidery of the Mughals and other royal families to the vibrant handlooms of countless regions, Indian clothing is a testament to exceptional craftsmanship. Techniques like Chikankari and zari work are more than embellishments; they represent generations of artistry woven into every stitch.

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Natasha Poonawalla’s sari look at the 2022 Met Gala (Source: Sabyasachi: Instagram)

Shubhika Sharma, the brain behind the wildly successful Papa Don’t Preach, agreed with Sethi on the rich history of Indian fashion. She noted that the industry itself has remained largely unorganised till the last few years. “It is post-Covid, as Reliance, Aditya Birla and the Tatas started investing in Indian fashion brands, when we received the opportunity to showcase ourselves to a much bigger audience,” Sharma said.

Of marketing our way through to the global stage

When you look at brands like Chanel and Dior, which are almost centuries old, Indian brands are still at a much-nascent stage, she explained, adding, “The Met Gala has a certain aspirational value to it, and so do the designers that are a part of its presentation. So, you need those number of years behind a brand. You need that kind of a massive marketing push. I don’t think it is a fair comparison at this point.”

According to celebrity stylist Rishi Raj, this existing network makes it challenging for Indian designers to break through “unless they have direct connections or a strong presence in these circles”.

The glaring biases in haute couture are only a Google search away. Type ‘adjectives for couture’ in the search bar and the first few results are populated with words like ‘Parisian’, ‘Italian’, ‘French’, ‘European’, and even ‘American’.

“When they talk about a designer from India, China or Africa, there will always be an addendum to it: their nationality,” said Sethi spiritedly in a conversation with the writer. “We may have only 10 or 20 Indian designers who are truly monetarily capable of doing it, but we’ll do it right because we have much more to prove to the world,” he added.

But, it’s not up to the Met Gala to decide which designers show up on the red carpet, it’s up to the celebrities, Sethi opined. However, the road to that choice is just as rife with potholes, even bigger than those on Delhi roads during one of those notorious monsoons.

“There aren’t many Indian faces, or even South Asian faces, on the red carpet. It’s only just starting with Priyanka, Deepika, and Alia, who are also just two-three seasons old. For them to take risks right now, at such an international level like the Met Gala, and not be sponsored by these massive brands who can buy tables and sponsor them to walk the red carpet, is difficult,” Shubhika elaborated.

The way ahead

So, where do we begin? According to fashion influencer and newly-minted author Masoom Minawala, the challenge lies in bridging the gap between the work of Indian designers and the global fashion community. “Indian designers should focus on expanding their distribution networks and marketing strategies to reach a wider audience beyond India. This may involve leveraging e-commerce platforms, establishing partnerships with international retailers, and investing in targeted marketing campaigns,” she explained.

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A photo from the 15th year of the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour powered by Fashion Design Council of India. (Source: FDCI.org)

Designer Raghavendra Rathore also believes in the holy trinity of strategic positioning, visibility and availability. Add to this stylists, who have the liberty to pair celebrities and designers in their immediate sphere, it would allow for a more fluid incorporation into such events and beyond.

Despite these challenges, Indian designers have made significant inroads in various international fashion scenes and events such as Cannes and the Met Gala. Remember the parade of celebrities standing and posing on the white carpet at the Met Gala last year? It was made by Neytt, a Kerala-based rug-making company.

Professor Ambika Magotra from the School of Fashion at the World University of Design (WUD), Sonipat, added that support from entities like the FDCI, and even government-cultural exchange programmes can help in promoting Indian fashion internationally, including funding participation in high-profile events like the Met Gala.

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