At fashion's biggest night, Indian celebs steal the limelight, styled by noted designers with a desi touch

As a boy from Nepal, growing up in Delhi, and later moving to the Big Apple to make his mark in the world of global fashion, designer Prabal Gurung says that he understands what it means to represent a community. When his muse for the Met Gala, singer Diljit Dosanjh, wanted to showcase his Punjabi roots for this year's theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style', the designer and the dresser were on the same page.

"I wanted to work with Diljit because he understands the importance of identity and representation," said Gurung over a phone call to ET as morning broke out in New York.

So Dosanjh wore an ivory and gold silk brocade sherwani with marori, aari, dabka, and delicate French embroidery. The belt had motifs of the lotus and peacock, and his taffeta cape was embroidered with an artistic representation of the Punjab map with Gurmukhi initials. It was symbolic of Dosanjh's famous line: "Punjabi aa gaye oye!"

In fact, this year's Met Gala had India's biggest turn.

Focus on Authenticity
Shah Rukh Khan in head-to-toe black and jewelled Sabyasachi, Mindy Kaling in Harbison Studio, Priyanka Chopra in Balmain, Kamala Harris in Off-White's IB Kamara, Mona Patel in Thom Browne and many more. Khan proclaimed his status with a large K diamond pendant and his trademark aura.

Manish Malhotra had a stellar night fashioning the looks for 'it' girl Natasha Poonawalla, and he also worked with singer-actor Coco Jones. Malhotra himself walked the carpet for the first time, like the very pregnant Kiara Advani.

Designer Gaurav Gupta planned Advani's look, which he calls 'Bravehearts', during the early stages of her pregnancy journey.

Gupta told ET, "When I conceived this look, the vision Anaita [Shroff Adajania, the stylist] and I had was to express this momentous chapter of motherhood in her life through couture, and also pay homage to the bold elegance of Black style."

He reimagined his signature breastplate as a heart adorned with ghungroos, crystals and connected by delicate chains to a smaller heart symbolising Advani's unborn child, while the structured white cape was an homage to Andre Leon Talley.

Apart from Advani, Adajania also styled Isha Ambani's and Poonawalla's looks for the night. "My priority is to ensure that the personality of the person I'm dressing shines through," she told ET, adding, "that authenticity is everything."

Gurung, who has been to the Met since 2010, too emphasised on authenticity, having worked previously with Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone.