Manish Malhotra Celebrates The Art In Artisans; Honours The 50 Artisans At MET Gala 2026

From Manish Malhotra Atelier to the MET Gala 2026, Asia’s renowned couturier’s second appearance at fashion’s biggest night was ‘personal’ couture statement.

Manish Malhotra celebrated the ‘art’ in artisans and it showed when the master couturier graced the iconic MET Gala stairs. Inspired by the City of Dreams Mumbai, which was also embroidered on the sleeve of the bandhgala, Manish expressed on Instagram that the city has defined his creative identity, and his atelier of artisans who help him build his dream each day.

‘Fashion is art/artisan’ – wrote Manish Malhotra on Instagram. “For my appearance at the Met Gala, I wanted to create something deeply personal- a reflection of Mumbai, the city that has shaped my journey, my cinema, and my sense

of design, along with the atelier that brings my vision to life every day- my work family,” expressed Manish Malhotra, on Instagram.

The embroidered cape featuring 3D sculpted figurines added a creative narrative to Manish’s MET Gala look. The sculpted pieces celebrate the artisans of his atelier who crafted the piece, positioning the look as both homage and declaration, asserting Indian craftsmanship as a leading voice in global couture. Styled over an Indian bandhgala, the architectural cape was crafted over 960 hours by 50 artisans across Delhi and Mumbai.

A Manish Malhotra piece is incomplete without traditional embroidery and this living narrative features hand embroidered techniques including dori work, zardozi, chikankari, and kasab realised in a serene palette of white and ivory.

From Mumbai’s cinematic landmarks to the names of artisans, the cape played the perfect canvas for Manish’s love for storytelling. Manish completed his iconic look with statement brooch and collar pins from Manish Malhotra High Jewellery.

Apart from his state-of-art MET Gala 2026 look, Manish Malhotra also designed art-led fashionable and timeless looks for Karan Johar and Camila Mendes.

The Met Gala takes place annually on the first Monday in May and the proceeds provide The Costume Institute with its primary source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, and operations. The funds raised also support other Museum activities. To celebrate the opening, the occasion was attended by Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Zoë Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Alex Consani, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, LISA, Chloe Malle, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor, Lauren Wasser, Anna Weyant, A’ja Wilson, and Yseult, Adut Akech, Angela Bassett, Sinéad Burke, Rebecca Hall, Aimee Mullins, Amy Sherald, and Chase Sui Wonders.

Joining Manish Malhotra from India at MET Gala 2026 were also renowned celebrities including Isha Ambani, Karan Johar, Natasha Poonawalla, Ananya Birla among others.