" Thank you for [ bringing ] all 4'11 " of me to the carpet . "
Nepalese American fashion designerPrabal Gurungis no stranger to theMet Gala. Over the years, the NYC-based designer, known for his commitment to diversity and social justice, has dressed numerous celebrities for the event, likeEmily Ratajkowskiin 2016 andGabrielle Unionin 2018. This year, he dressed nine celebrities — many of whom have been dubbed the best-dressed of the night, likeTaika Waititiand Anok Yai.
If you’re unfamiliar with Prabal or don’t follow theMet Gala, don’t worry. Prabal launched his eponymous label in 2009, and his vibrantly colored and intricate designs are often known for their modern glamour and bold prints. Beyond the Met Gala, Prabal — who was born in Singapore but grew up in Nepal — has dressed countless notable celebrities, including Michelle Obama, Priyanka Chopra, Kate Middleton, and Oprah Winfrey.
Outside of his work in fashion, Prabal is an activist for various social and political causes, supporting women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, and voting rights. He’s accordingly used his platform to raise funds for organizations like Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Stop Asian Hate campaign. In 2012, he founded his own nonprofit, theShikshya Foundation, in Nepal to benefit underprivileged children.
Needless to say, Prabal is a talented designer who’s made a significant impact not only in the fashion industry but also throughout the world. To celebrate his work, here are the nine stunning celebrities he dressed for this year’s Met Gala — plus, some descriptions of each piecefrom Prabalhimself:
1.Alia Bhatt: The beloved Indian British actor — best known for her Hindi films — has been invited to the Met Gala by Prabalbefore, but this is the first year she’s attended.
Onhis Instagram account, Prabalrevealedthe Atelier Prabal Gurung ball gown has an ivory silk tulle and an exaggerated basque waist.
The gown is embellished with more than100,000 hand-beaded pearls.
2.Anok Yai: The South Sudanese American model was discovered during Howard University’s homecoming week when photographer Steve Hall asked to take her picture. The picture amassed more than 20,000 likes on Instagram, prompting numerous modeling agencies to reach out to her.
Anok’s Atelier Prabal Gurung dresshasoxidized gold and silver, hand-embroidered degrade-sequin paillettes.
The pannier-shaped dressalso hasa bugle-beaded fringe and a sheer, silk tulle, mermaid skirt.
3.Quannah Chasinghorse: The Indigenous American model — who is both Hän Gwich’in from Alaska and Canada and Oglala Lakota from South Dakota — is notably recognized for her Yidįįłtoo, the traditional face tattoos of Hän Gwich’in women.
Quannah’s iridescent pale pink and blue Atelier Prabal Gurung ball gownhashand-embroidered sequins. The house signature, cut-out bodice has an extreme drop waist.
The ball gownalso hasa hand-beaded corded trim and criss-cross strap, along with a multi-layer, silk tulle skirt.
4.Quinta Brunson: The American comedian, writer, and actor — currently best known for her Emmy Award-winning seriesAbbott Elementaryon ABC — thanked Prabal in herInstagram postfor “[bringing] all 4'11” of me to the carpet."
Quinta’s dusty pink, duchess satin, column gownishand-embroidered with multiple crystals.
It alsoconsists ofan overlay of black silk tulle, a camellia flower, and a silk tulle train.
5.Diya Mehta Jatia: The youngest child of renowned Indian business tycoon Russell Mehta currently lives between Mumbai and London and works as a fashion consultant.
Diya’swearinga two-piece outfit: A black satin halter top…
…anda jade green, satin, sculpturally draped skirt.
6.Taika Waititi: The Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Grammy Award-winning New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian — who is of Maori descent — has a new movie,Next Goal Wins, coming out this November.
Taika’swearinga gunmetal, floor-length, structured wrap coat with a black, liquid silk satin lapel, and white satin trousers.
His look iscomplete witha handmade silk flower and pearl chains.
7.Kelsey Asbille Chow: The Chinese and English American actor is most known for her roles in Disney XD’sPair of Kings,Yellowstone,One Tree Hill, andTeen Wolf.
Kelsey’s scarlet, off-the-shoulder, sculptural mini dressis made ofsilk and duchess satin.
Italso hasa silk tulle train and handmade rosette.
8.Rita Ora: The Albanian British singer and songwriter recently announced that her third studio album,You & I, will be released on July 14.
Her black corseted gown ismade withsilk tulle and draped with a hand-pleated, silk chiffon skirt.
The piece alsoincludesmultiple hand-embroidered, silk organza and satin flowers.
9.Isha Ambani: The daughter of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani is currently the executive director of Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RVVL), the largest retailer in India by revenue.
Isha’s black, satin-back, crepe sari gown isembellished withthousands of hand-embroidered crystals and pearls.
Italso hasa silk chiffon train.
…and here are a few images of the Prabal-dressed celebs together:
Happily married couple Taika and Rita attended the Met together.
This year’s Met Galacontroversially honoredthe late designer Karl Lagerfeld, who allegedly hated the color pink. Therefore, people believe that celebs who wore pink to the event weresilently protestingits theme.
Here are Isha and Diya posing together on the carpet.
Here’s some of the gang goofing off together as they try to take a group photo.
…they’re still at…
And here’s the final shot!
“Thank you for [bringing] all 4'11” of me to the carpet."
