India In Fashion: Celebrity Met Gala 2023 Looks Vs The NMACC

Alia Bhatt made her much-awaited Met Gala debut in a dreamy white dress ‘proudly made in India’ with1,00,000 pearls stitched meticulously on her dress. For the young Indian actor, she wanted to flaunt a look that “felt authentic”. This year, the theme of the Met Gala was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, with an aim to honour the life and work of celebrated designer Karl Lagerfeld. The dress code was “in honour of Karl.” The annual Met Gala, the year’s biggest fashion show kicked off with celebrities making heads turn at the grandest exhibition of art and fashion.

Among Indian stars at the 2023 Met Gala were Priyanka Chopra and Isha Amabani, who also made her debut at the star-studded event that comes close on the heels of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) inauguration that happened in the first week of April in Mumbai and was dubbed as 'Indian Met Gala' by many. Day 3 of the NMACC launch, which was named ‘India in Fashion’ event saw international stars along with Indian artists thronging the venue in stylised Indian sartorial fashion. 

While many on social media drew a close comparison of the event with the grand Met Gala, there lay considerable differences between the two events. The launch event at the fashion exhibition explored the layered impact that traditional Indian dress, textiles and craft have had on international fashion sensibility since the 18th century. The Met Gala, on the other hand, celebrated late designer Karl Lagerfeld, who revived Chanel and drew numerous controversies for his remarks on women, fatness and the Metoo movement. 

The NMACC on the one hand was more of an exhibition of refurbished Indian traditional wear to uphold the country’s tradition and heritage, the Met Gala on the other saw layers of archival wear from the likes of Chanel, and Fendi, with which the German designer was mostly associated with.

Further, we explore the looks of Indian celebrities, who walked both the events in different attires.

Priyanka Chopra 

At the NMCC, the Quantico star wore an ‘upcycled vintage look with a modern twist!’. It was an outfit that was an amalgamation of the East and the West! Designed by Amit Agarwal, it was created using a 65-year-old vintage Banarasi patola (Brocade) saree with silver threads and gold electroplating on Khadi silk. It was paired with a sequin sheet holographic bustier to reflect the nine colours of the ikat weave that the brocade is set in. It was a tribute to celebrate Indian art and fashion. 

At the Met Gala,  she wore black-and-white ensembles by Valentino, sticking to Karl Lagerfeld's favourite colour theme.

 

Alia Bhatt 

In line with the theme, Alia wore a metallic silver saree with an off-the-shoulder blouse accompanied by a choker and diamond earrings with the sheer silver saree designed by Vaishali Shadangule. She was also wearing a diamond cuff bracelet on her right arm. Her hair was tied up in a bun.

At the Met Gala, she donned a look inspired by the iconic Chanel brides and in particular by supermodel Claudia Schiffer’s 1992 Chanel bridal look. She said that she wanted to do something that “felt authentic (hello, pearls!) and proudly made in India”. The embroidery, designed by Prabal Gurung, was created with 100,000 pearls.

 

Isha Ambani 

Isha Ambani made an array of fashion-forward appearances throughout the three-day launch of the cultural centre. In line with the theme of Indian heritage, she wore an elegant ivory-and-gold ensemble by Anamika Khanna. She also wore a bright pink sharara set from the label Lajjoo and on the third day, she wore a red Valentino gown worn with a majestic Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla cape.

 

At Met Gala, Isha celebrated ‘the legacy of an iconic and unforgettable man, Karl Lagerfeld. An art patron and art lover, Isha Ambani turned heads in a black satin-back saree gown. This glamourous crepe outfit was hand embellished with thousands of crystals and pearls and adorned with a silk chiffon train! Isha, who wore designer Prabal Gurung, taking inspiration from sarees from her country paid homage to the legendary Lagerfeld with a touch of her own culture.

 

Deepika Padukone 

Deepika Padukone did not make it to Met Gala 2023. However, she rocked from Met Gala 2019 with the blush shade, wearing a structural princess gown by Zac Posen with a surprising technological twist --- it was covered in hundreds of 3D-printed embellishments. 

 

At NMCC, she made a statement in an outfit, with Indian and Western outfits. She wore Anamika Khanna pantsuits with elaborate embellishments.