Bollywood star Alia Bhatt's rise to international stardom continues. Fresh off her Met Gala debut earlier this month, Bhatt, 30, has been named the first Indian global ambassador for Italian fashion house Gucci.
One of the top actresses in India today, Bhatt is also loved for her advocacy of mental health issues. She is set to make her Hollywood debut soon with Heart of Stone, an espionage thriller that also stars Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan.
As Gucci ambassador, Bhatt joins other global stars including Harry Styles, Dakota Johnson and Hanni from the K-pop group New Jeans. Her first event will be the brand's coming Cruise 2024 showcase in Seoul, to be held at the Gyeongbokgung Palace on Tuesday.
"Alia Bhatt is the House’s newest Global Brand Ambassador. To mark the occasion, the actress, producer, and entrepreneur was captured with the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag," Gucci posted on Instagram on Thursday.
"Her advocation in favour of self-expression and inclusivity in contemporary society speak to the House’s core values and encompass the brand's motif of fostering cultural empowerment within the next generation of creative talent," Gucci said.
Bhatt, who made her Bollywood debut with 2012's Student of the Year, has won rave reviews for her roles, and is often praised for portraying strong female characters. She was last seen in the 2022 film Darlings, in which she played a domestic abuse survivor who decides to turn the tables on her husband.
In October, she was the recipient of Time magazine's inaugural Time100 Impact Awards, which “recognise leaders who have done extraordinary work to shape their fields and the world at large”.
Bhatt is married to Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, 40, and gave birth to their first child, a girl, in November.
While proof of Bhatt's growing global influence, the Gucci announcement is also a sign that global luxury brands are increasingly eyeing India as the next big market.
In May last year, storied French brand Louis Vuitton named Deepika Padukone as its first Indian global ambassador, while French label Dior showcased its autumn 2023 womenswear show in Mumbai in March, the first time it's ever done so in the country.
Scroll through the gallery below for more pictures from the Met Gala 2023
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Alia Bhatt, in a custom Prabal Gurung, attends the 2023 Met Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. Getty Images -
Rihanna, in custom Valentino, and A$AP Rocky arrive fashionably late. AP -
Cardi B attends the 2023 Met Gala, which honoured the late Karl Lagerfeld, in a monochrome look by Chenpeng Studio. AP -
Gigi Hadid in custom Givenchy. AFP -
Gisele Bundchen wears vintage Chanel. EPA -
Margot Robbie in Chanel. Reuters -
Priyanka Chopra, in Valentino, with husband Nick Jonas. AP -
Doja Cat chanelled Choupette in custom Oscar de la Renta. AFP -
Jennifer Lopez in Ralph Lauren. AP -
Anna Wintour in vintage Chanel, arrives with British actor Bill Nighy. EPA -
Kim Kardashian in custom Schiaparelli. Reuters -
Florence Pugh in Valentino. Getty Images -
Jeremy Pope attends in a Balmain cape emblazoned with Karl Lagerfeld's face. AFP -
British actress Daisy Edgar-Jones in Gucci. AFP -
Sean 'Diddy' Combs in a floral black cape by June Ambrose. AFP -
Conan Gray pays homage to Lagerfeld's signature style. AFP -
Designer Olivier Rousteing carries a 'Karl who?' bag. AFP -
Amber Valletta arrives in a fan-inspired outfit. AFP -
Olivia Rodrigo in Thom Browne. Getty Images -
Miranda Kerr in Dior. AP -
Serena Williams sticks to black and white. AFP -
Janelle Monae wears custom Thom Browne. Reuters -
Kendall Jenner in custom Marc Jacobs. AFP -
Bad Bunny in a white suit and floral cape by Jacquemus. Getty Images -
Jared Leto attends as Choupette, Lagerfeld's cat. AP -
Viola Davis in hot pink. AP -
Anne Hathaway in custom Versace. AP -
Pedro Pascal bares his legs in red and black. AFP -
Julia Garner in custom Gucci. AFP -
Sienna Miller wears all-black. AFP -
Teyana Taylor in Thom Browne. AP -
Kylie Jenner in custom Jean Paul Gaultier. Reuters -
Billie Eilish wears Simone Rocha. EPA -
Karlie Kloss in Loewe. EPA -
Mindy Kaling in Jonathan Simkhai. Reuters -
Jodie Comer in Burberry. AP -
Lily Collins wears a black cape emblazoned with the word 'Karl'. AFP -
Stormzy attends. AP -
Allison Williams wears Patou. Reuters -
Jordan Roth in Schiaparelli. Reuters -
Cara Delevingne pays homage to Lagerfeld with her hairdo. AFP -
Jeremy Scott in one of his own designs. AP -
Jenna Ortega attends. AP -
Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba attend. Getty Images -
Lila Grace Moss and Kate Moss in Fendi, with designer Kim Jones. AFP -
Lizzo in Chanel. Getty Images -
Olivia Wilde in Chloe. AFP -
Irina Shayk arrives. EPA -
Michaela Coel arrives. AFP -
Rihanna arrives in custom Valentino. AFP
