Met Gala 2026: Princess Gauravi Kumari and Sawai Padmanabh Singh make their debut

The Met Gala 2026 has arrived and with it, plenty of buzz all the way from the steps of NYC's Met museum. While costume art and its various celebrity renditions have stolen most of the spotlight, there's always enough of it to shine on the first-timers at the gala. This year marked the debut of several famous faces from across the world. There was Nicole Kidman's daughter Sunday Rose, Jaafar Jackson, who is the star of the Michael movie and also the late Michael Jackson's nephew amongst others. Even from many miles away, Indian representation came in full force with repeat attendees like Isha Ambani as well as debutants from the sub-continent. Giving the Met Gala 2026 a royal touch all the way from India, was none other than Princess Gauravi Kumari of Jaipur and Sawai Padmanabh Singh, Maharaja of Jaipur, who made their debut at the event.

(Also Read: Met Gala 2026: Heidi Klum transforms into a marble statue on the steps of the Met museum)

The sibling set saw Princess Gauravi, who was HELLO! India's April-May 2025 cover star, attend with her brother, Sawai Padmanabh; both in ensembles that paid homage to their royal Indian heritage. Gauravi went back into the archives of her grandmother, Maharani Gayatri Devi, to make a demure statement on the Met gala carpet. She wore a creation by designer Prabal Gurung, who incorporated a blush pink chiffon saree that once belonged to Gayatri Devi, into the ensemble. It was complete with a sequin drape over her shoulder, a narrow-strapped blouse and a sheer length. Pearls and chiffon; a combination that the late maharani was known for, was also envisioned within Gauravi's look and completed with uncut diamonds, ear chains and Jimmy Choo heels.

Padmanabh took the regional route as inspiration for his Met Gala 2026 look. Developed by Prabal Gurung, his Phulghar coat; which was made of deep velvet and cotton over the course of 600 hours, was the highlight of his look. Across the back is a motif inspired by Sri Niwas at Jaipur's City Palace while polki and jadau work, as well as aari and zardozi embroidery turn the coat into a spectacle over the otherwise black base of his look.

While reinterpreting the 'fashion is art' theme to feature their royal Rajasthani heritage, the royal siblings proved that Met Gala style truly can be statement-making with a show of Indian cultural prowess. 

(Also Read: Met Gala 2026: Kylie Jenner blurs the lines of art and couture in custom Schiaparelli)