Manish Malhotra has dressed Bollywood royalty, Hollywood names, actual royalty, and some of the most photographed women in the world. For 35 years he has been the person standing behind the camera, behind the fitting room door, behind the star on the red carpet. At Met Gala 2026, for the first time on fashion's biggest stage, he stepped in front.

The first Indian film director to attend the Met Gala arrived not trying to explain India, but simply feeling like himself. Here is the full story of the cape that made that possible.

Ananya Birla’s Met Gala 2026: Inside the Subodh Gupta Steel Mask That Made Her Debut Unforgettable