When Kiara Advani walked the red carpet at the 2025 Met Gala, she wasn’t just debuting a stunning outfit—she was marking a personal milestone. This year’s theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, was all about honouring individuality and cultural influence. Kiara’s look, Bravehearts, told a story of motherhood, strength, and quiet transformation.
The outfit was designed by Gaurav Gupta, known for creating bold, sculptural looks that feel more like wearable art than just clothing. But this one carried deeper meaning. It was designed before Kiara publicly shared her pregnancy — making it a kind of emotional time capsule.
“Kiara’s Met Gala look was months in the making. From the first sketch to the final sculpt, ‘Bravehearts’ was shaped through deep conversation and rigorous craftsmanship. The creation was an intensive process that involved over 23 artisans. The gown and cape took over 120 hours, while the sculpted breastplate required another 150 hours of handwork. Every detail from form to finish was built with purpose and precision,” the designer told indianexpress.com exclusively.
At the heart of the look — quite literally — is a hand-moulded gold breastplate shaped like a heart. Gaurav adorned it with ghungroos (Indian bells) and crystals, evoking both celebration and the weight of legacy. Attached to it is a smaller heart, symbolising the child — connected through delicate chains resembling an abstract umbilical cord.
Crafted keeping in mind Kiara’s “ever-evolving body as she prepares for her journey into motherhood,” her comfort was integral to the design process, added Gupta. “The gown was constructed in a soft, stretch knit jersey that allowed freedom of movement while sculpting her body. We used a lightweight gold-toned metal for the breastplate, carefully hand-moulded to her body to avoid discomfort or restriction,” he continued.
Stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania, who helped bring the idea to life, shared the origin story in a video posted by Diet Sabya:
‘So, I was at Kiara’s house, doing fittings for a film and she said, ‘Oh, I wanna talk to you’ and we went to her living room and she said, ‘Firstly, I’m pregnant’ and I promise you, I hadn’t guessed it, ‘and I’m going to the Met Gala.”
“Bravehearts is about transformation,” Gaurav shared in a press release. “We wanted to honour Kiara’s journey into motherhood while also nodding to the elegance of Black fashion history.”
The structured white cape draped around Kiara’s shoulders was a subtle tribute to the late André Leon Talley, the iconic fashion editor known for his larger-than-life presence and his support for young designers. He once wore a similar cape to the 2010 Met Gala — a moment that inspired this piece.
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In a press release , Kiara reflected on what the look meant to her: “Making my Met Gala debut at this stage of life, while also preparing to become a mother, felt special. The design Anaita and Gaurav created was more than just beautiful — it captured the transition I’m in, and how much strength it takes to show up as yourself.”
Other Indian stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Diljit Dosanjh and Priyanka Chopra also made their presence known at the Met carpet this year.
