Manish Malhotra at Met Gala honours artisans with names stitched on his Met Gala cape

Manish Malhotra made a strong fashion statement on the Met Gala red carpet. Read on to know how he did so.

In Short

• Manish Malhotra returned for his second Met appearance in a black bandhgala.
• His outfit was dedicated to artisans at his atelier, and Mumbai.
• The cape featured names of artisans who work at his atelier.

What is a fashion label without artisans? To honour the hard work and talent of the artisans behind his brand, Manish Malhotra wore their names on the Met Gala.

Malhotra returned to the Met for his second outing, dressed in a heavily embroidered black bandhgala layered with an architectural cape. The cape was the true highlight, accentuated with contrasting white embroidery featuring the names of artisans along with several Mumbai-inspired elements.

He envisioned his outfit as a love letter to Mumbai, the city that shaped his identity, and to the artisans who work with him at his atelier.

On closer look, the cape reveals several names as well as motifs such as a local train, the Sea Link, and other elements from Mumbai’s skyline. That’s not all. He also added 3D sculptures of tailors working on machines on the shoulders of his cape – a move to assert Indian craftsmanship as a leading voice in global couture.

The designers used a variety of techniques such as dori work, chikankari, kasab and zardozi to put together this rather special outfit.

Malhotra also dressed his friend and filmmaker Karan Johar for the Met Gala 2026. For him, he created a regal ensemble inspired by the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma.

Camila Mendes and Sudha Reddy too took Manish Malhotra’s creations to the year’s biggest night in fashion. Several Indian celebrities such as Isha Ambani and Princess Gauravi Kumari also made strong sartorial statements at the Met this year.

- Ends