How the breastplate is becoming a new fashion statement accessory for women

Alia Bhatt in custom Gaurav Gupta Couture for her runway debut at the L’Oréal Paris - Le Defilé show. Pic/Getty Images

It's de rigueur for celebrities (and other mortals) to post their Diwali outfits on social media. But trust actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja to do things differently. Styled by sister Rhea Kapoor, Ahuja paired a khadi lehenga by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla with a breastplate handmade of Multani clay and red soil from Karnataka.

The armour-style piece was designed by Bengaluru-based art and design studios The Vernacular Modern, and Made in Earth Collective. The original piece was exhibited at Milan Design Week in April. A very Indian iteration of an international runway and red carpet trend, this clay breastplate received thousands of positive comments online.

Incidentally, actor Bhumi Pednekar was seen in this trend before Ahuja, in a glass armour plate with snake details by Raw Mango for an awards night in September. However, Pednekar was heavily trolled online, her look mocked as "naagin core". Post the meme barrage, art historian Deepthi Sasidharan shed more light on the subject of breastplates, and how designer Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango has been inspired by (and credited) traditional Theyyam and Bhuta Kola ritual performance (featuring dance, mime and music) outfits from Kerala and Karnataka, respectively.

Sydney Sweeney Pic/Getty Images; Nicola Coughlan in Misho. Pic/Instagram; Uorfi Javed. Pic/Getty Images; Sonam Kapoor Ahuja in a breastplate, handmade of Multani clay and red soil from Karnataka, designed by The Vernacular Modern, and Made in Earth Collective; Bhumi Pednekar in a glass armour plate by Raw Mango. Pics/Instagram

It's not just these two states, breastplates are found in several cultures in India, and appear in traditional paintings and sculptures too, says Sasidharan, Founder, Eka Cultural Resources and Research. This derivative of body armour is also seen on idols of gods and goddesses, "celebrating our inner Devi and Dev" as Ahuja wrote in the Instagram caption.

Celebrity stylist Isha Bhansali, who's worked with stars including Ayushmann Khurrana, assures that this isn't a ridiculous trend and can be tried by people beyond red carpets and runways. "It celebrates sculptures, which are so sensual," she says. "It sculpts the body in a great way, and we - and fashion - are all about loving ourselves and celebrating our body form today. There should be no qualms about wearing a breastplate."

For some real-life inspiration, Bhansali suggests a look at Suhani Parekh, the creative director of jewellery brand Misho. "Suhani is a great inspiration, I have seen her wear it with a skirt, pants, sari, layered with blazers, sometimes just as a bustier, which is comfortable to sit in," shares Bhansali. Parekh also wore a 22-karat gold-plated bronze breastplate and stomach plate with a sari to the NMACC Gala when pregnant last April.

The strong statement was also the choice of musician Rihanna, who wore a red cropped breastplate by Loewe for her return to the stage at the Super Bowl halftime show last year, which also made for a very public announcement of her second pregnancy.

In 1969, French designer Yves Saint Laurent had sculptor Claude Lalanne create breast and stomach plates for his Autumn-Winter collection. A glimpse of it is seen in the recent works of Pakistani artist and fashion designer Misha Japanwala, who has chosen a breastplate (and other body casts) to express dissent against societal pressures on women's bodies. Her custom art works have been worn by several known faces, from Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong'o to rapper Cardi B, who also coincidentally made a public announcement of her pregnancy (like Rihanna) by wearing Japanwala's breastplate in the music video for her song Rumours. Other early designers who showcased breastplates on the runway were Japanese designer Issey Miyake and French designer Franck Sorbier.

Fashion influencer Uorfi Javed wore a similar piece, DIYed in her true style, paired with a sari for an awards night last year.

Before Uorfi, in India, it was designer Suneet Varma who first showcased a golden breastplate in his Greek-inspired collection in 1992. In a campaign shot by the late Prabuddha Dasgupta, supermodels Mehr Jesia and Shyamoli Varma paired Varma's sarees with breastplates. "The breastplate design was inspired by my love for sculptural art and the rich history of costumes," Varma tells us. "I wanted to create a statement piece that merged traditional Indian aesthetics with modern, bold designs.

Drawing heavily from Greek mythology and Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, it represented a fusion of strength, elegance, and femininity - a unique wearable work of art," he says of the iconic campaign shots, in which the models posed like Venus in the painting, with the sarees draped around them much like her hair.

The fluidity and timelessness of the sari were the perfect juxtaposition for a structural breastplate, feels Varma. Producing it in the '90s though, posed significant challenges due to limited manufacturing capabilities. Today, Varma is happy to reintroduce them for custom orders.

For the Met Gala in New York, industrialist Natasha Poonawalla wore a Sabyasachi sari, with a hand-forged metal bustier by Schiaparelli in 2022. Recently, in addition to Schiaparelli (inspired by YSL's pieces), other couture houses to showcase breastplates include Balmain, Gabriela Hearst, LaQuan Smith and Tom Ford. Actor Alia Bhatt wore a version of a metal-cast silver breastplate from Indian designer Gaurav Gupta's 2024 spring summer collection showcased at Paris Fashion Week in January.

Gupta is fascinated with blending mythology and wearable art, and chose a breastplate for Bhatt to embody strength and empowerment for her international runway debut. The intertwining snakes and birds on the plate symbolize transformation and resilience, "themes deeply rooted in Indian narratives but reimagined with a futuristic lens".

"It took over 50 hours to craft the breastplate," he says, "We began by hand sculpting the design to ensure that the metal cast would contour the body perfectly. Each snake and bird was individually moulded to add depth and movement, creating a dynamic, almost surreal effect."

I believe a piece like this deserves bold yet minimal styling to let it take centre stage," says Gupta, on how to make the breastplate one's own. "The black flared sharara trousers on Alia offered a modern twist on traditional Indian wear. For an alternative look, it can be styled with a long structured skirt and keep the accessories simple - a sleek clutch or subtle earrings work best."

Bhansali recommends pairing it with skirts, a sari draped in different ways, even with a blazer - much as you would a corset.

And no need to break the bank to get one: Head to the Instagram account of DIY creator (and actor) Shweta Mahadik, who has shared a detailed video (with 17.5 million views) on how to make one on your own.