Who Is Mona Patel? Met Gala Debutante Whose 'Moving Butterfly Dress' Made A Splash At Red Carpet

As the stars of the Met Gala continued to dazzle through the night, one unexpected person gained attention on social media for her stunning red-carpet ensemble. The unique outfit had butterflies on its sleeves that moved their wings up and down. The dress was the perfect nod to this year's Met Gala theme - The Garden of Time. 

She wore a figure-hugging outfit with a sheer lace side design and a butterfly corset bodice. The ensemble's hem included gold embroidery on the fabric, which cascaded into a scalloped train. Patel stepped into a pair of gold shoes with open toes and rhinestone decorations glistening on top to complete her look. 

Mona Patel talks about her Met Gala outfit

In March, Patel had told Vogue India, “I wanted my debut look to be something that celebrates my heritage and also combines my love couture, and when I heard of the theme, Iris Van Herpen seemed like the obvious choice.” Earlier this year, she travelled to Mumbai with stylist Law Roach and the Iris Van Herpen team to tour a factory and choose the gems that will adorn her dress on the red carpet.

Who is Mona Patel? 

Born in Vadodara, Gujarat, Mona Patel is a permanent US resident and businesswoman. Her early journey to the US was for higher education at Rutgers University. She settled there and created a multimillion-dollar enterprise that included several businesses, the hub of which was Patel's creation, Couture For Cause. According to Her Zindagi, the entrepreneur's passion for fashion, her business ventures, and her charitable endeavours are all combined into the non-profit extension.

She has since launched eight businesses in fields including technology, real estate, and healthcare. Patel was also selected as one of Forbes Next 1000. She is mostly known for her non-profit organization, Couture For Cause, where she auctions unique couture items to support charitable causes.