“Bravehearts” by Gaurav Gupta: A Couture Ode to Lineage, Legacy & Black Elegance
In an unforgettable debut at the Met Gala 2025, Kiara Advani walked the red carpet in Bravehearts—a custom couture creation by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta. The look, deeply resonant with this year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” was a powerful convergence of motherhood, resistance, and radical elegance.
Conceived before her journey into motherhood, Bravehearts marked more than just a red-carpet moment. It was a visual narrative, sculpted from symbolism and emotion—designed to honour the transformative power of identity, heritage, and generational courage. At the heart of this creation lies the soul of Black dandyism—a movement where fashion became a tool for rebellion, dignity, and redefinition.
“Bravehearts is a tribute to those who used style as defiance,” said Gaurav Gupta. “Their elegance was never just aesthetic—it was power.” The design is named in honour of that legacy, and especially to André Leon Talley, the towering icon of fashion whose fearless individuality redefined what it meant to take up space with style. His influence is stitched into the very architecture of the piece.
Kiara’s ensemble featured a sculpted white cape, reminiscent of Talley’s dramatic 2010 Met Gala moment. It wrapped around her like a shield, soft yet commanding—a metaphor for grace and resilience. Beneath the cape, a hand-moulded gold breastplate formed into a heart, encrusted with crystals and delicate ghungroos, symbolised protection and power. Suspended from it, a smaller heart connected by an abstract umbilical cord of fine chains, captured the essence of generational love—a quiet, lyrical tribute to motherhood.
“This moment—this piece—is about transformation. Physical, emotional, generational,” Gupta explained. “With Bravehearts, we wanted to honour Kiara’s personal journey while embracing the spirit of Black cultural sophistication and resistance.”
Speaking on the significance of her debut, Kiara shared, “To represent this story of strength and evolution, as both an artist and a mother-to-be, is deeply special. When Anaita (Shroff Adajania) brought Gaurav into the vision, he created something that wasn’t just couture—it was connection. Bravehearts reflects intention, individuality, and legacy. A quiet reminder that our choices pave the way for those who follow.”
Styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania, the look was a true collaboration—melding Gupta’s sculptural innovation with Kiara’s personal milestone and the Met’s profound cultural context. In her debut, Kiara didn’t just wear fashion—she embodied a message: that true elegance is more than fabric and form. It is memory. It is lineage. It is resistance stitched in gold.
