Met Gala 2026: KJo's 6-Foot Cape & 85-Day Effort For Raja Ravi Varma Tribute

For his Met Gala debut, Karan Johar wore a Manish Malhotra outfit inspired by Raja Ravi Varma. The hand-painted masterpiece took 85 days to create, with over 80 artisans working to bring this intricate design to life for the global red carpet.

A Grand Debut

For his first Met Gala in New York, Karan Johar chose an outfit inspired by Raja Ravi Varma's art, designed by Manish Malhotra. Instead of a regular fashion piece, KJo decided to showcase Indian art and culture. The event's theme was 'Costume Art' and the dress code was 'Fashion is Art', so his bespoke Manish Malhotra outfit was a perfect match.

'Framed in Eternity'

They named the outfit 'Framed in Eternity'. It had a six-foot-long, hand-painted cape and a power-shouldered vintage jacket. A team of over 80 artisans worked hard for 85 days to create this stunning cape. To complete the look, Karan wore a multi-gemstone necklace and rings from his own jewellery brand, Tyaani.

Who designed this outfit?

Designer Eka Lakhani and Manish Malhotra worked together to create this outfit. Karan Johar said, "When you work with Manish, you don't need to explain anything. We have been working together for so long that we just get each other."

The Raja Ravi Varma Inspiration

Karan Johar revealed that his long-time love for Raja Ravi Varma's art inspired this choice. He wanted the outfit to feel personal, believing that personal choices naturally reflect his Indian roots. KJo felt the outfit was meaningful because just as Ravi Varma captured emotions in paintings, he tries to do the same in his films.

The outfit featured visual references from Varma's famous works like

The outfit used visual references from some of Ravi Varma's most famous paintings, including 'Lady with the Peach', 'Hamsa Damayanti', 'Kadambari', 'Arjuna and Subhadra', and 'There Comes Papa'.

Talking about his first Met Gala experience

Talking about his first Met Gala experience, he said, "I am not here to explain India, but I wanted to appear as myself. By wearing an outfit inspired by the art given by my ancestors or my country, I am paying homage to my culture."