top of page
The Communiqué News

Indian Heritage Shines at the 2026 Met Gala with "Costume Art" Theme

The 2026 Met Gala, held on May 4th with the theme "Costume Art," highlighted a significant Indian presence that celebrated heritage craftsmanship. Prominent attendees included Isha Ambani in a Gaurav Gupta gold sari-gown, Karan Johar in a Raja Ravi Varma-inspired Manish Malhotra outfit, along with Natasha Poonawalla, Ananya Birla, Sudha Reddy, and Princess Gauravi Kumari.


Swati Bhat

From Top to Bottom

Isha Ambani Piramal, Manish Malhotra, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Annanya Birla, Natasha Poonawala, Mona Patel


What is Met Gala?

The Met Gala, officially known as the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual haute couture fundraising event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute on the Museum Mile of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Widely considered the world's most prestigious and glamorous fashion event, it is where fame, wealth, power, social influence, and spectacle converge and reach their zenith. Attendees have the chance to showcase their fashion sense, often creating elaborate and highly publicized outfits inspired by the evening's theme and cultural context. Organized by the fashion and glamor magazine Vogue, it's known as "fashion's biggest night", where "haute couture meets history to create the ultimate cultural moment – all in the name of art". Dubbed "the world's most exclusive party", an invitation is highly coveted. Invitees are typically individuals recognized as culturally significant in today's society at the intersection of various professional fields, including fashion, digital and social media, tech, music, Broadway, Wall Street, film, television, sports, and politics.







Vogue Philippines features oldest model, a 106 year-old tattoo artist


Image: Vogue Philippines April issue, photographed by Artu Nepomuceno, via Vogue.ph


Seniors, let alone centenarians, rarely grace the covers of fashion magazines. Apo Whang-Od, a 106-year-old tattoo artist from Buscalan, a village about twelve hours from Manila, is featured in the April issue of Vogue Philippines.

Ms Whang-Od, the region's first female tattoo artist at the time, began her career at the age of 16 "to imprint the sacred symbols of their ancestors on individuals who have crossed or are about to cross a threshold in their lives," according to Vogue.

Ms Whang-Od, who has tattoos all over her body, says her skin is inscribed with her life story, from achievements to ailments and the names of long-gone lovers.

Vogue’s cover story is a stark reminder that prevailing cultural bias towards youth and beauty, particularly in the entertainment and fashion industries, is veered toward featuring younger models, most of whom are teenage girls. This can create a belief that older women are less relevant or marketable, and therefore less likely to be featured on the cover of a fashion magazine.

There have been some positive changes in recent years, with some fashion magazines and brands featuring older models. Maye Musk, Carmen Dell'Orefice and Isabella Rossellini all had thriving careers in their sixties and beyond, regularly featured in magazines and ad campaigns. This shift towards greater diversity and inclusivity in fashion reflects changing attitudes and a growing recognition that beauty and style are not limited by age.



Vogue and Snapchat partner on AR exhibition

June 22: Media publication British Vogue has revealed a collaboration with social media platform Snapchat in the form of an interactive augmented reality (AR) exhibition.


Swati Bhat

Pic Courtesy: Vogue x Snapchat, Centre d’art La Malmaison


Curated by Edward Enninful, ‘Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body’ will take a look into how AR could enrich the world of physical fashion via the transformation of designer garments through digital experiences and Snapchat lenses.

Located at the Centre d’art La Malmaison, an art gallery in Cannes, France, the duo will showcase clothing from seven fashion brands and designers alongside AR try-on experiences via Snapchat.

Through six specially designed spaces, visitors can view archival designs from the likes of Balenciaga, Dior, Gucci, Richard Quinn, Stella McCartney, Versace and Kenneth Ize.

The experience also expands to the grounds of the gallery, which has been “digitally wrapped” by designers and can be viewed through a Snapchat filter.

Pic Courtesy: Richard Quinn, Vogue x Snapchat


Pic Courtesy: Versace, Vogue x Snapchat


bottom of page