Kiara Advani’ MET Gala debut in Bravehearts by Gaurav Gupta offered an homage to the late André Leon Talley, with a heart-shaped breastplate and cape symbolising identity, lineage, and generational courage. It was not the first time Gupta took to metal. He had earlier crafted similar and much-lauded looks for Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja. Sonam’s Diwali look last year was also an off-kilter breastplate blending tradition with a futuristic touch designed by Bengaluru-based art and design studios The Vernacular Modern, and Made in Earth Collective.
It was designer Daniel Roseberry’s Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2021 Haute Couture collection, which brought back the spotlight on this seminal piece whose origins can be traced back to ancient Greece. In 1969, Yves Saint Laurent forged an artistic alliance with sculptor Claude Lalanne to mould replicas of model Veruschka von Lehndorff’s bust and torso for his Fall/Winter “Empreintes” offering. Later disruptive design forces like Thierry Mugler, Hussein Chalayan, and Jean Paul Gaultier reimagined the breastplate throughout the ’80s and ’90s. Back home, the gilded breastplate was part of Suneet Varma’s debut show in 1992, which drew inspiration from Sandro Botticelli’s painting The Birth of Venus and was crafted from acrylic and sculpted on a mould. The requests for the SV breastplate haven’t stopped pouring in over time.
Gupta brought back the attention on the statement-making sculptural breastplate. “I think we’re at a moment where fashion is no longer just about adornment—it’s about storytelling, identity, and emotional resonance. The breastplate, especially in Kiara’s case, wasn’t just a trend or an accessory—it was a sculpture of strength. I do see designers and artists leaning more into this kind of body armour. If it does become a trend, I hope it’s for the right reasons—as a way to express inner strength and not just outer form,” shares Gupta. The breastplate may be all the rage in B-Town but the couturier asserts that it’s a daring look and hence not for everyone.
The metallic breastplate has been something of a MET Gala staple for a few years now. But this movement has been steadily building. MISHO explored this space early on as the brand’s founder and creative director Suhani Parekh wore a sculptural 24k gold-plated belly plate while pregnant to the opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre back in 2023. Since then, the label’s work in metal couture has evolved into something deeply expressive and narrative-driven. The house created custom metal pieces for Nicola Coughlan and Beyoncé last year.
One wonders if this edgy piece will garner acceptance among the non-celeb/non-influencer crowd too? “We’re already seeing that shift. We’ve been receiving an increasing number of orders from brides across the globe. It’s a bold yet beautiful way to merge traditional and contemporary elements,” shares Parekh. Beyond weddings, women are ordering these pieces for galas and red-carpet moments. “What I love is that once you’ve worn it for a special occasion, it doesn’t have to stay in the closet. You can re-wear it in simpler ways—with jeans, a plain sari, or a minimalist skirt. It becomes a statement piece that’s extremely versatile,” she suggests.
Stylist Priyanka Kathuria too sees the breastplate gaining momentum among contemporary brides. “That said, even within the celebrity circle, the look is starting to feel overdone. It may be time to move on and make space for the next big moment,” she quips. All in all, metal couture today is much more than a runway or red-carpet statement—it’s a compelling, wearable art form that fuses fashion and sculpture.