At the 2025 MET Gala, fashion’s most exclusive night took an extravagant detour through history, heritage, and flamboyant sparkle. While couture gowns and dramatic trains usually dominate the red carpet discourse, this year’s most compelling narrative was written in gemstones and the men wore it best. From Shah Rukh Khan to A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton to Diljit Dosanjh, the blue carpet was ablaze with a new kind of masculine glamour.
These modern-day dandies didn’t just accessorise, they announced it in bling. Gone are the days when diamonds were reserved for the discreet cufflink or a modest pinky ring. Today’s tastemakers are reclaiming jewellery to showcase power and poise.
Diljit Dosanjh: The crown prince of cultural couture
In his Met Gala debut, singer and pop star Diljit Dosanjh didn’t simply walk the blue carpet, he owned it. Teaming up with designer Prabal Gurung, the Punjabi singer-actor brought a masterclass in cultural storytelling. Draped in a sherwani-inspired angrakha with an ivory cape and a traditional pag (turban), Diljit channeled the regal aura of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala.
The true marvel was in the detail as he wore layers of handcrafted jewellery by Indian jewellery house Golecha’s as strings of emeralds, pearl strands, vintage-style brooches, and an ornate turban ornament aiming for a royal debut re-imagined for the global stage.
Shah Rukh Khan: The King’s signature spark
Marking a historic debut, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan became the first Indian male actor to walk the Met Gala carpet, and in true King Khan fashion. Dressed in a custom all-black ensemble by Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee with high-waisted trousers, a kamarbandh, silk shirt, and sweeping tailcoat, SRK added a potent symbol of swagger in the form of bling jewels.
Around his neck hung an oversized ‘K’ pendant, an unmistakable nod to his iconic moniker, “King Khan.” He wore layered rings and a stack of custom-made jewels that caught every camera flash. For an extra drama, he wore a Bengal tiger-head cane crafted in 18k gold, set with tourmalines, sapphires, and old mine-cut diamonds to showcase his Bollywood royalty status.
A$AP Rocky: Courtroom to couture in carats
To blur lines between personal narrative and fashion theatre, A$AP Rocky turned his Met Gala appearance into a glimmering statement of defiance and style. Co-chairing the evening, he arrived in a sharp black suit layered with a faux fur jacket studded with accessories that flashed the shutterbugs.
In a standout move, Rocky debuted two pieces from Bvlgari’s unreleased High Jewelry collection: a necklace set with a 12.29-carat ruby and a brooch crafted in pink gold, featuring a 15.34-carat cushion-cut peridot surrounded by rubellites and diamonds. Not to be outdone, he carried a Briony Raymond umbrella encrusted with 90 carats of diamonds as a symbolic nod to his recent legal battles, transforming it into a fashion moment that was absolutely tongue-in-cheek.
Lewis Hamilton: Speed and sophistication
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, another co-chair of the gala, offered his take on androgynous elegance. Dressed in an ivory cropped suit jacket and perfectly tailored trousers adorned with pearl fringe, Hamilton’s look was punctuated with an array of vintage-inspired brooches - one adorning his lapel, another perched on his white beret.
The architectural inspired brooches were an ode to art-deco geometry with floral motifs in gold and diamonds. A modern nod to 1920s gentleman chic, Hamilton’s fingers, too, were decked out in chunky gold rings encrusted with rubies and sapphires, completing the ensemble with a defiant kind of glamour.
This year’s MET Gala proved that the male jewellery moment is no longer an afterthought but a complete story in itself as modern men are dressing with intention. In jewels that reference their roots, iconography, personal histories, and quiet rebellions, each piece worn on the blue carpet told a story far deeper than style.
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