OPINION: Kiara’s Met Gala debut was brave but Gaurav Gupta’s Breastplate obsession needs a break

Let's set the scene: the 2025 Met Gala, an evening where fashion meets fantasy, where limits are shattered and silhouettes speak volumes. Amid the whirl of opulence and avant-garde theatrics walked Kiara Advani, glowing, radiant, and making history as the first Indian celebrity to debut her baby bump on the iconic Met steps. And while her aura was undeniably angelic and the message of motherhood moving, the real question that loomed large was, did Gaurav Gupta truly deliver a Met-worthy masterpiece?

Let's not mince words; Kiara was a vision. She floated onto the carpet in a custom Gaurav Gupta creation featuring his signature sculptural couture: a golden breastplate encasing her torso, dramatically cascading into a flared train with a black hem and a flowing black-and-white cape. Add in that ethereal pregnancy glow, and yes, Kiara looked divine. But divine doesn't always cut it at the Met. The theme was 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style', and while the message was strong, the fashion? Questionable.

Let's talk about that breastplate. Again. Because honestly, how many more times are we going to be served the same dish, just plated differently?

Gaurav Gupta's metallic breastplates have become his fashion fingerprint. From Shakira's sultry sculptural red-carpet moment to Sonam Kapoor's tulle-tutu-ed warrior princess look and Alia Bhatt's iconic debut at Paris Fashion Week in a futuristic silver breastplate with velvet flared pants, he's dressed some of the most celebrated women in these metallic masterpieces. And it worked. Oh, it worked like magic.

Take Alia, for example. Her look was sharp, decisive, and screamed high fashion. The metal-cast silver breastplate adorned with intertwining snakes and birds teamed with black velvet sharara trousers had just the right mix of drama and elegance. She nailed the accessories, too: chunky silver chain-link earrings, gold rings, and bold heels that sealed the deal. That look was unapologetically editorial.

Sonam Kapoor's ensemble? A couture fever dream. The breastplate, again, Gupta's trademark, hugged her frame while an asymmetrical satin wrap cinched her waist, all topped with a voluminous black tulle skirt. It was exaggerated, playful, and screamed high fashion. Sonam, the eternal style goddess, carried it with a knowing wink, her makeup subtle, her aura loud.

Even Shakira, an International pop powerhouse, brought her sultry charisma to Gupta's sculptural creations. There was a synergy, a harmony between muse and maker. These women didn't just wear the clothes; they inhabited them.

Now, coming back to Kiara, yes, she looked beautiful. Yes, the intention was heartfelt. The heart-shaped detail on her breastplate connected by a golden umbilical thread? Genius. Symbolic. Emotional. A visual ode to motherhood. That touch earned Gupta major brownie points; it gave the look emotional depth, tying fashion to legacy, to life itself.

But did it shock? Did it stop us in our tracks the way we expect Met Gala moments to do? Sadly, no. The problem isn't Kiara; it's the déjà vu of it all. While Kiara was making her Met debut, Gaurav Gupta was leaning on a design he's leaned on a lot. His breastplates, while expertly sculpted and undeniably chic, have started to feel like a creative crutch. It's one thing to establish a signature, quite another to overindulge in it. And let's be real, this was the MET GALA, not a mid-level film award night or a Paris photo call.

This could've been Gupta's moment to evolve, to challenge himself, to build upon his mastery of metallics and fluidity and create something never-seen-before. Instead, he played it safe. Daring concept, safe execution.

Sure, the cape, reminiscent of André Leon Talley's majestic 2010 moment was a nice touch. Sure, the symbolism was rich. But in a sea of fashion fantasies, Kiara's look felt more like a well-rehearsed poem than an unhinged, poetic performance. Beautiful, but not breathtaking.

We wanted a moment, not a memory of past ones. The fashion world knows that Gupta is a genius of sculptural draping and poetic tailoring. He's repeatedly shown us that he can fuse futurism with emotion and structure with soul. But the time has come for him to evolve past the breastplate. It's time to forge new armours for his muses, armours that reflect their individual journeys while pushing fashion forward. It's not just recycling the same metallic narrative with a slightly new cast.

If the Met Gala were the Oscars of fashion, Kiara should've been dressed not just like a goddess but like the moment. Kiara, walking up those storied stairs and baby bumping in tow, did exactly that. She made history. She made a statement.

And maybe, just maybe, Gaurav Gupta's golden thread was a quiet whisper of what's to come, a hint that the next chapter will be more daring, more audacious, more Met. Here's hoping.