Met Gala 2021: Sudha Reddy, the Indian face to look out for at the iconic event of this year

After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, fashions greatest night, the Met Gala is set to return this September. At this year's event, also known as the Costume Institute Benefit, there be Indian representation once again. Joining the megawatt celebrities who will take to the steps of the Metropolitan Museum in their finest attire, will be philanthropist and business tycoon, Sudha Reddy. Wife of billionaire Megha Krishna Reddy, this will be Sudha's maiden outing at the glamorous soiree. As a supporter of the fine arts and widely known for her charitable disposition, her presence at the 2021 Met Gala comes as no surprise.

An avid connoisseur of art and fashion, Sudha Reddy is considered amongst the well-heeled jetsetters of South India and will be making her city proud as she will be the first Hyderabad based non-film luminary to attend the hotly-anticipated global affair. In the past Indian celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Isha Ambani and Natasha Poonawala have graced the event.

Sudha Reddy has moved from 'cheque philanthropy' to 'hands-on philanthropy', as the Sudha Reddy Foundation has socially and economically empowered lakhs of people in Telangana. When she's not spearheading Megha Group Of Industries and TruJet Airlines, she's working towards affordable healthcare and accessible education. Widely celebrated for her charitable disposition, she was the only Indian to be invited to the Global Gift Gala and nominated for The Global Gift Empowerment Of Women Award. With a commitment and vision to continually pledge out of her personal wealth, she handed over grants to two charities viz. 'Action Against Hunger and Fight Hunger Foundation' and 'Breast Cancer Research Foundation' in Paris with Elizabeth Hurley in attendance.

The exclusive invitation-only guest list is rumoured to include names such as Camila Cabello, Lewis Hamilton, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga Donatella Versace, Naomi Campbell amongst the 400 names this year.

Dubbed as the "Party Of The Year," the "Super Bowl Of Fashion," and the "Oscars Of The East Coast", at this year's scaled-down event the celebrity co-chairs include Naomi Osaka, Billie Eilish, Timothee Chalamet and Amanda Gorman, while honorary chairs are Tom Ford, Adam Mosseri, and Anna Wintour. Normally held on the first Monday in May, for the first time since its inception, the Met Gala will include two exhibitions. The first exhibition will be held on 13th September 2021 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art -- timed to coincide with the close of New York Fashion Week. Held annually to support the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City, the second half of the event will fall in May 2022.

Each year, the Met Gala has a specific dress code that ties into the museum's latest fashion exhibition theme. "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," will be the first exhibit's theme and will open in the Anna Wintour Costume Center on 18th September 2021. The second exhibit, "In America: An Anthology of Fashion," in May 2022 will illustrate through style 300 years of historic narratives, both personal and political.

Keeping up with the year's theme, South India's doyenne will don haute couture look by Indian designer duo Falguni Shane Peacock, who have dressed the likes of Beyonce, Madonna, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Nikki Minaj, Kim Kardashian, and Lady Gaga. Inspired by the American Revolution, the metallic gold body-hugging gown with its' au courant cuts will entail a shimmering 4-meter flared trail which will imbibe a medley of hues borrowed from the American flag and varnished with refined 3D adornments of Swarovski crystals, sequins and bugle beads.

Falguni Shane Peacock who has dressed Sudha Reddy on multiple milestone celebrations in the past state, "It took us numerous sessions and more than 250 hours of labour to put together this spectacular statement work of art for our dear friend Sudha. We have focused on a lot of detailing and we employed the services of our skilled atelier artisans in order to ensure the outfit does full justice to Sudha's eclectic persona. We have created a novel edgy military-inspired look that blends well with the overall theme of the Met Gala."

Jewellery designer and gem maestro Farah Khan has designed a custom-designed statement ear piece called 'Dreamy Decadence' to complete Reddy's red-carpet look.

Elaborating further about her eclectic creation, Farah Ali Khan adds, "Drawing inspiration from the stars in the American flags that symbolise the 50 glorious independent states of America, I designed a sensual ear cuff with diamond-encrusted stars. I wanted to highlight Sudha's expressive eyes and the contours of her face so I created this bejewelled piece that starts from her cheek and extends to her hair culminating as a string of scintillating bezel set diamonds. It is crafted in 18kt gold with 35 carats of VVS diamonds."

The 2021 Met Gala Livestream will begin at 5:30 p.m. EST on the night of the event and will be hosted by two special guests: actor and recording artist Keke Palmer, and actor, writer, and director Ilana Glazer. Together, they will provide unprecedented access to the Met Gala's famous red carpet, interviewing high-profile guests as they arrive in grand style.