On fashion's biggest night, Indian businesswoman Natasha Poonawalla chose to wear her heritage on her sleeve, arriving at the Met Gala in a show-stopping look by Manish Malhotra.
The event's theme of Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, inspired by the fashion influence of black dandyism, was not an obvious fit for Poonawalla and Malhotra – but they embraced it fully and the result was spectacular.
Poonawalla's look was complex, comprising a pearl-encrusted bralette, a peplum bodice, a skirt, a caped jacket with a long train and a huge ruff, which was all lavished in traditional Parsi Gara embroidery that would have taken hundreds – if not thousands – of hours to complete.
This centuries-old craft, brought to India by the Parsi community in the 8th century, is highly prized and increasingly rare due to its labour-intensive nature.
Intricate and complex to create, it is treated as an heirloom. Malhotra, however, was able to completely cover this black and purple look in rich, elaborate embroidery.
As well as swirling floral shapes, the look featured other motifs, including a horse and rider repeated in off white across the purple bodice and skirt.
The look captured the opulence and theatricality of the dandy tradition, while making a statement about India’s rich sartorial heritage on a global stage.
For her Met Gala debut, American singer-songwriter Coco Jones also turned to Malhotra.
Dressed head-to-toe in cream, she wore a floor-grazing coat covered in silver embroidery and pearls, layered over bead and gem-studded trousers. Her look was completed with Jimmy Choo heels and a striking diamond necklace centred on a vivid blue sapphire.
Malhotra, already a familiar name in the UAE, was guest of honour at Dubai Fashion Week this year, where he closed the event.
