 "Quicksplained: Who is Mona Patel, the Indian CEO who made heads turn at Met Gala 2024?")
It was fashion’s biggest night – a sea of fairytale couture and jaw-dropping outfits. Amid the best-dressed celebrities at the Met Gala 2024, one Indian made heads turn. Not a Bollywood actor or a fashion designer but an Indian entrepreneur, Mona Patel.
Acing the 2024 Met Gala theme, “The Garden of Time”, Patel made her debut donning a flawless nude floor-grazing gown, with an intricate butterfly-shaped corset and scalloped train of kinetic butterflies that fluttered wings as she moved.
“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,” Patel had told Vogue India.
The fashion entrepreneur’s look, which was exquisitely crafted by Dutch designer Iris van Herpen and celebrity stylist Law Roach, grabbed headlines.
Much like her debut Met Gala appearance, the Indian CEO’s journey has been quite remarkable. Here’s what we know about her
1. Born and raised in Gujarat’s Vadodara, Patel has had a humble beginning. After spending her childhood in India, she moved to the US to pursue higher education at New Jersey’s Rutgers University. “
“I was eager to experience life outside India and create the life I always dreamed of, in the land of the free and the home of the brave,” Patel wrote on her website.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts2. After Rutgers, Patel returned home to India and completed her studies at Gujarat University. At 22, she moved back to the US for her entrepreneurial endeavours. “I packed three large suitcases with most of my priceless possessions and moved from India to Dallas, Texas,” Patel mentioned on her website.
3. Patel, who is one of the Forbes 1000 honorees, also went to prestigious schools like Harvard Business School in 2022 and attended Stanford University’s executive programme in 2020.
4. In 2006, she forayed into business. She founded eight companies and ventured into diverse sectors like healthcare, tech, and real estate industries. Her empire is now valued at over $100 million according to her website, Haute Mona.
5. The Indian CEO, best known for her NGO Couture For Cause, combines her love for fashion and her philanthropic pursuits. The non-profit auctions one-of-a-kind couture pieces to raise funds for charities.
6. Patel credits her success to her parents. She wrote, “It’s no secret that my parents had a huge impact on the person I am today. I often credit my father for my entrepreneurial drive and my mother for being my ‘North Star’. Together, they set me on a path to explore a future without limits, and empowered me to travel beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone.”
With input from agencies
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