Anok Yai's "Oxidized" Met Gala Dress Was Absolutely Stunning — And I Think I'm In Love With The Designer Of Her Dress
Nepalese American fashion designer Prabal Gurung is no stranger to the Met Gala. Over the years, the NYC-based designer, known for his commitment to diversity and social justice, has dressed numerous celebrities for the event, like Emily Ratajkowski in 2016 and Gabrielle Union in 2018. This year, he dressed nine celebrities — many of whom have been dubbed the best-dressed of the night, like Taika Waititi and Anok Yai.
Here he is above with Alia Bhatt.
If you're unfamiliar with Prabal or don't follow the Met 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.
Here's Michelle wearing a dress by Prabal.
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, the Shikshya Foundation, in Nepal to benefit underprivileged children.
When the Gorkha earthquake that killed an estimated 9,000 people struck Nepal near Prabal's home city Kathmandu in 2015, he created a relief fund that raised almost $1 million for the earthquake victims.
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 piece from Prabal himself:
1.Alia Bhatt: The beloved Indian British actor — best known for her Hindi films — has been invited to the Met Gala by Prabal before, but this is the first year she's attended.
On his Instagram account, Prabal revealed the Atelier Prabal Gurung ball gown has an ivory silk tulle and an exaggerated basque waist.
The gown is embellished with more than 100,000 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 dress has oxidized gold and silver, hand-embroidered degrade-sequin paillettes.
The pannier-shaped dress also has a 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 gown has hand-embroidered sequins. The house signature, cut-out bodice has an extreme drop waist.
The ball gown also has a 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 series Abbott Elementary on ABC — thanked Prabal in her Instagram post for "[bringing] all 4'11" of me to the carpet."
While it's unclear if this is a nod to the fashion industry, it is not uncommon for designers to refuse to dress celebrities who do not fit sample sizes.
Quinta's dusty pink, duchess satin, column gown is hand-embroidered with multiple crystals.
It also consists of an 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's wearing a two-piece outfit: A black satin halter top...
...and a 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's wearing a gunmetal, floor-length, structured wrap coat with a black, liquid silk satin lapel, and white satin trousers.
His look is complete with a 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's Pair of Kings, Yellowstone, One Tree Hill, and Teen Wolf.
Kelsey's scarlet, off-the-shoulder, sculptural mini dress is made of silk and duchess satin.
It also has a 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 is made with silk tulle and draped with a hand-pleated, silk chiffon skirt.
The piece also includes multiple 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 is embellished with thousands of hand-embroidered crystals and pearls.
It also has a 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 Gala controversially honored the late designer Karl Lagerfeld, who allegedly hated the color pink. Therefore, people believe that celebs who wore pink to the event were silently protesting its 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!
What do you think of Prabal's designs? Let us know in the comments bellow!
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