Alia a powerhouse performer, loyal friend: Prabal Gurung on dressing up her for Met Gala 2023

New Delhi: Couturier Prabal Gurung says designing Bollywood star Alia Bhatt's dress for her maiden appearance at the 2023 Met Gala will remain a "beautiful memory".

Bhatt, dressed in an ivory ball gown embellished with 100,000 pearls hand beaded in India, turned heads at the gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Monday night.

This year, the gala paid tribute to the legendary German designer Karl Lagerfeld, who died in 2019 at 85. The theme was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," and the dress code was “in honour of Karl”.

Alia wore a Prabal Gurung ivory silk tulle and satin face organza exaggerated basque waist ball gown with hand beaded pearls.

Gurung said he first met the actor at the 40th birthday bash of filmmaker Karan Johar in Mumbai.

"I had heard rave reviews about her through him and my brother Pravesh, who was assisting Karan in her debut film. I was immediately taken by her when I met her. A petite ingenue whose simmering fire within her was palpable to all of us.

"One film after another, she has surpassed anyone's expectations and thrilled us with her creative genius. She's a powerhouse performer. To me, she is one of the finest actors we have right now globally, but above all, she's a friend, a good friend, and a loyal one; that’s what makes her extremely special," he wrote, sharing his photos with the actor along with the post.

Gurung said he and Bhatt talked about "a Met moment" on several occasions but she wanted to wait for the right opportunity.

Fashion stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania was behind creating Alia's look for the event.

"This time however, she felt it was the right moment, so she said yes and off we went to our wildest imaginations along with Anaita to create a homage to Karl that celebrated her heritage (100,000 pearls hand embroidered in Mumbai), my love for Karl (he is my master, and yes he did give me my CVFF award) and all made in New York," he said.

According to Gurung, Bhatt's dress was inspired by German model Claudia Schiffer's 1992 Chanel bridal look.

⁠ "Alia, forever grateful we will have this for posterity. Thank you for the beautiful memory. Been a fan of your talent for the longest time and of your generous, kind soul and heart; a grateful friend," the designer said.

In her Instagram post on Tuesday, Bhatt said she wanted to wear something that felt authentic and was "proudly made in India".

"The embroidery, made with 100,000 pearls, is a labour of love by @prabalgurung. I’m so proud to wear you for my first Met," she had posted.

Met Gala 2023 was attended by some of the biggest international stars, including Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, Miranda Kerr, Doja Cat, Serena Williams, this year's best actress Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, Pedro Pascal, Lily Collins, Salma Hayek, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Penelope Cruz, among others.