Trust couturier Mayyur Girotra to transcend boundaries between art and artisanal craftsmanship. For this year’s Met Gala red carpet — themed 'Costume Art' — the maverick crafts a sculptural creation that moves beyond fashion into the realm of cultural preservation for fashion consultant Diya Mehta Jatia. With this India Modern and India Proud design, the ensemble becomes a means of expression that lets every hand gesture, every thread, and every detail shine. A new language poised between ornamental French Baroque motifs and multi-coloured Indianness, it is emotional, rebellious, and unafraid to break rules.
Steeped in the time-honoured Shola craft of West Bengal, the ensemble reimagines one of India’s most delicate and endangered artisanal practices through a contemporary couture lens, bringing it onto one of the world’s most visible stages. Shola, often referred to as “vegetable ivory,” has historically been used by Bengali artisans to create ceremonial crowns, bridal adornments, and intricate decorations for Durga idols. Inherently fragile and painstaking in its process, the craft today survives through only a handful of fourth and fifth-generation artisan families. This project places their legacy at the centre of a global narrative.
In developing the garment, Girotra and his team travelled to Kolkata to work closely with these artisan clusters, immersing themselves in the process, understanding its cultural context, and collaborating with craftsmen who have spent generations preserving this tradition. While the original Shola material is too delicate for the structural demands of couture, its essence has been translated into a more stable, sustainable medium derived from industrial waste, allowing the same techniques, precision, and hand processes to be retained while enabling a sculptural, red carpet–ready form.
Talking exclusively to Robb Report India from New York, the designer shared, "I wanted to keep it India-centric and work on a grassroots level. I thought of exploring Shola and visited Kolkata. I met some master crafters over there, and the journey began. Shola is a quite distinctive and indigenous craft of West Bengal, which is sadly dying. We were able to achieve the desired result while exploring it with patience and restraint. But then I wanted to do it in a French Baroque style informed by the old architecture carvings." The process was rather detailed and involved dexterous handwork, so Girotra brought these artisans to Delhi.
"They stayed with us for almost nine weeks, and then they crafted this whole carving. Then I wanted to explore Kanjivaram textile from Kanchipuram," he adds. In a stroke of genius, the designer brought together two very strong centuries-old art forms, and the ensemble took almost 10 to 11 weeks to come to life, with artisans working in double shifts.
Girotra grew up seeing his mother and grandmother wear the finest of textiles. As a child, he'd accompany his mother on her trips to South India, where she'd shop for Kanjivaram sarees. "Textiles have always been a part of our family's lifestyle. I always wanted to go back to it." The ace designer recently unveiled his new label called The Collectables, where he not only engineers new textiles but also revives old crafts. "I'm working towards restoring vintage textiles, and it is my passion project." Girotra and Diya Mehta Jatia have already worked together in the past, so this artistic partnership was shaped by mutual respect, trust, and shared values.
"I know exactly what she likes, her taste, and how crazy she goes when it comes to design. I know how far I can also stretch it and go with her. I always have full freedom to create, as she has trust in me and knows that I'm going to do something very interesting for her. You know, that whole feeling that when she walks in wearing this garment, you won't even come to know whether it's stonework," says the couturier, who underscores that the ensemble is so light that, in his words, “Diya can run a marathon in it.” Mayyur is also designing Diya's after-party outfit. It's going to be interesting to see how this East-meets-West jugalbandi makes its presence felt on the Met Gala 2026 red carpet.