The 2024 Met Gala‘s best dressed ‘mystery woman’ has been unmasked as Indian fashion entrepreneur Mona Patel.
The married Indian business mogul used to dress up as a boy to ‘rebel’ against social stigmas before building a $100M empire in tech enterprises.
Mona stole the show at the event with her now-viral butterfly-inspired gown and sparked a frenzy of intrigue on social media, where users waxed lyrical about her stunning nude-colored Iris Van Herpen dress and praised her style.
It was Patel’s debut at the event, which costs $75,000 to attend, and she revealed how she wanted her outfit to be something which ‘celebrated my heritage’.
Having worked with Zendaya‘s longtime stylist Law Roach for the occasion, Patel, who was born in Vadodara, Gujarat, perfectly encapsulated the dress code for the evening: The Garden of Time.
Met Gala 2024’s ‘best dressed woman’ is a married Indian business mogul called Mona Patel who dressed up as a boy to ‘rebel’ from social stigmas before building a $100M empire
Back in 2021, Mona attended a Vogue100 event in collaboration with Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila. During the event, Mona had the chance to take a quick snap with the TV personality
She is married to surgeon Chintan DeSai and will occasionally share sweet snaps of the pair on her Instagram page
Her dress quickly swept the internet after she walked the star-studded red carpet at the annual event
The beauty moved to the United States in 2003 – and has since founded several companies, such as HauteX Ventures and radXai, a health tech startup.
Patel – who was a Forbes Next 1000 honoree back in 2021 – stunned in a figure-hugging dress that contained a butterfly, corset bodice as well as sheer, lace details on the side.
There were thousands of Tweets from different accounts praising her looks on the night.
However, notably many of the tweets about the previously little known businesswoman are identical suggesting they could be placed by bots in a bid to boost her profile.
Many of them read: ‘Apparently, a lot of folks are feasting at the #MetGala and Idc that Idk who she is, but she ate all those who ate. Homegirl devoured. Those butterflies move.’
The hem of the ensemble flowed down into a scalloped train and had gold-embroidered details on the material.
Gold butterfly embellishments were placed on her arms and reached up past her elbows. For a one-of-a-kind touch, the wings of the butterflies mechanically moved on their own – sending social media users into a frenzy.
Mona slipped into a pair of open-toed, gold heels that had sparkling, rhinestone embellishments on top.
Her makeup was glammed up for her Met Gala debut, and comprised of a layer of mascara to her lashes as well as a shimmering, bronze shadow around her eyes.
A warm blush and contour was added to her cheekbones, while a satin, nude-colored tint was worn on her lips for a finishing touch.
To accessorize the breathtaking ensemble, Patel added a pair of teardrop earrings that glittered underneath the bright lights.
The CEO was notably styled by Roach – who is known for also working with actress Zendaya.
‘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,’ she told Vogue India back in March.
According to the New York Times, custom creations by the designer can cost anywhere from $20,000 to more than $100,000 and can take up to two years to complete.
Not long after Patel stepped onto the Met Gala red carpet, she took the internet by storm, with some wondering who the ‘mystery woman’ was.
The businesswoman born in Vadodara, Gujarat – who wowed in a nude-colored, custom Iris Van Herpen gown
However, notably many of the tweets about the previously little known businesswoman are identical
The beauty moved to the United States when she was younger – and has since founded several companies, such as HauteX Ventures and also radXai, a health tech startup
Gold butterfly embellishments were placed on her arms and reached up past her elbows. For a one-of-a-kind touch, the wings of the butterflies mechanically moved on their own
The hem of the ensemble flowed down into a scalloped train and had gold-embroidered details on the material
To accessorize the breathtaking ensemble, Patel added a pair of teardrop earrings that glittered underneath the bright lights
One Instagram user with the handle @twobrokechicks shared a short clip as she revealed that the woman was Mona Patel.
‘This is the most beautiful dress that I have ever seen,’ the social media user gushed. ‘Her name is Mona Patel, and everyone is losing their actual minds over this dress and rightly so.
‘Not only is it on theme, but it genuinely might be the most incredible piece of work ever because…like, are you kidding me?’ she went on, as a photo of the gown appeared on the screen.
‘The dress moves! It’s like a butterfly dress with a mechanism in it, and oh, gorgeous. And look, they move like butterflies,’ she added, referencing to the embellishments on Mona’s arms. ‘Oh my gosh, she slayed! She has slayed.’
Other Instagram users shared their own thoughts on the custom gown in the comment section, with one penning, ‘This look was the best of the best. STUNNING!’
‘So divine!’ one wrote, while another added, ‘Omg. This is a piece of art!!!!’ One typed, ‘Can’t tell if it’s the dress or the cold weather but immediate goosebumps – STUNNING.’
On her website, Mona candidly details the stigma she tried to overcome as a girl growing up in India, revealing she even had hair cut into a boy’s style, and dressed like one in her quest to rebel.
She said: ‘I often asked ‘Why can’t girls do that?’ and the answer to my question was always simply, ‘Because you are a girl and those things are for boys.’ For an independent, high-achieving, driven girl like me, this didn’t sit well.
‘Fine, I thought. I’ll pretend to be a boy.
‘When I was 12-years-old, I got a boy haircut from my father’s barber without prior approval. I started to dress like a boy and do ”boy” activities – not because I truly wanted to be a boy, but because I desperately wanted to be able to do the things boys were allowed to do.
‘For me, this haircut was more than a cosmetic shift; it was an act of rebellion and a symbol of self-empowerment. It was my own way of rejecting who I was expected to be and a decision to take charge and call the shots.’
According to Mona’s LinkedIn, she began her studies at Gujarat University, but later decided to pack up her belongings and continue her education in the US, and earned her Masters of Science: Real Estate and Finance at the University of Florida.
Afterwards, she attended Stanford University Graduate School followed by Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management.
‘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,’ she told Vogue India back in March
The CEO was notably styled by Law Roach – who is known for also working with actress, Zendaya; the pair seen above at the 2024 Met Gala
Not long after Patel stepped onto the Met Gala red carpet, she took the internet by storm, with some wondering who the ‘mystery woman’ was
‘This is the most beautiful dress that I have ever seen,’ the social media user gushed. ‘Her name is Mona Patel, and everyone is losing their actual minds over this dress and rightly so’
‘The dress moves! It’s like a butterfly dress with a mechanism in it, and oh, gorgeous. And look, they move like butterflies,’ she added, referencing to the embellishments on Mona’s arms. ‘Oh my gosh, she slayed! She has slayed’
Along with being the founder of numerous businesses, Patel also launched her own nonprofit organisation called, Couture For Cause, in 2017.
According to the official website, the nonprofit ‘aims to drive positive change through fashion and inspire every woman to realize her highest self.’
‘Through fundraising events and global campaigns, we catalyze the fashion community and the industry’s most influential figures and brands to create a better future for girls around the world.’
Mona is also no stranger to the entertainment industry and has mingled with A-list Hollywood stars.
Back in 2021, she attended a Vogue100 event in collaboration with Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila brand.
During the event, Mona had the chance to take a quick snap with the TV personality and the pair flashed cheerful smiles for the camera.
In December 2022, she graced the cover for Glamour Bulgaria while adorned with diamond necklaces and bracelets.
The businesswoman currently boasts nearly 30,000 followers on her main Instagram page.
Other Instagram users shared their own thoughts on the custom gown in the comment section, with one penning, ‘This look was the best of the best. STUNNING!’
‘So divine!’ one wrote, while another added, ‘Omg. This is a piece of art!!!!’
One typed, ‘Can’t tell if it’s the dress or the cold weather but immediate goosebumps – STUNNING’
Mona has attended Stanford University Graduate School followed by Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management
She also married Chintan DeSai nearly 17 years earlier, and will occasionally share sweet snaps of the pair on her Instagram page.
During an interview with Sprit And Flesh Magazine in 2020, she opened up about her wedding day, which she described as ‘very simple and quiet…’
‘A sunset wedding on the beach with a sand ceremony and only two guests – my brother and sister.’
In regards to living in the U.S., she explained, ‘I have been living in the U.S. since 2003, and the lifestyle here is definitely very different compared to India.’
‘It has its pros and cons, but overall I think compared to India, the quality of life here is much more enjoyable and peaceful. Each day, I get to breathe the clean air, see the beautiful blue sky, and watch the amazing sunrises and sunsets…’
When asked about ‘womanhood,’ Patel expressed to the outlet, ‘I think being a woman today compared to previous generations means going beyond what our mothers thought was possible.’
‘I was raised to be a confident woman and to believe that I can do anything, be anything – whatever I could dream or imagine was within my reach if I did the hard work and had the determination to achieve it.’
She then recalled, ‘My dad said to me, ‘Sky’s the limit and the world is yours if you are bold enough to take it.”
‘Women today can use their voice to empower other women for positive change since there is unprecedented access to technology and social media across all demographics of society…’
