The 2024 Met Gala was a resounding success, but the media had their eyes on one particular name — Mona Patel. The Indian-origin entrepreneur stunned everyone at the elite fashion gathering with her appearance in an Iris Van Herpen creation. So, who is Mona Patel and why is she so famous?
Before we come to Patel’s history as a successful fashion icon and businesswoman who also advocates for girls’ education, a bit about her unforgettable Met Gala debut.
Patel arrived on the 2024 Met Gala red carpet in a gorgeous butterfly dress, wowing those present and sending social media into a tizzy.
Her form-fitting gown perfectly captured the Costume Institute exhibit’s theme ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ and the dress code ‘The Garden of Time’ with its scalloped train and 3D kinetic butterflies up her arms. The butterflies opened and closed their wings with the help of a motor hidden in them.
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Celebrity stylist Law Roach worked on Patel’s dress in India, where jewels for it were picked across Mumbai. Kinetic motion artist Casey Curran worked on the fluttering butterflies concept, which was Patel’s idea. It was truly a perfect display of fashion and technology put together.
Who is Mona Patel — the Indian fashion icon and entrepreneur?
Mona Patel started dressing like a boy due to patriarchy
Patel was born and raised in Vadodara, a city in India’s Gujarat state. On her official website, Patel mentioned that girls in India face inequalities and challenges from an early age.
“Women were expected to be domesticated and only men were encouraged to thrive and pursue ambitious careers,” she writes.
She faced the same challenges. She claimed that she was told that things like impact sports were for boys and not for girls like her. Due to the patriarchal pressure, Patel got a boys-style haircut and started dressing like a boy at age 12.
“For me, this haircut was more than a cosmetic shift; it was an act of rebellion and a symbol of self-empowerment,” she writes.
She pursued her higher education in the US
Mona Patel left India to study 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.
One of the reasons why she picked Rutgers University was because she had an aunt who lived nearby.
Patel has said that she had difficulty as an immigrant who is not familiar with the customs and cultural barriers in America.
She returned to India before moving back to the US
Following her studies at Rutgers, Mona Patel returned to India to complete her undergraduate education. Reports suggest that she completed her studies at Gujarat University.
She was 22 years old when she decided to move back to the US, this time for good, to pursue her entrepreneurial ambitions.
“I packed three large suitcases with most of my priceless possessions and moved from India to Dallas, Texas,” Patel mentioned on her website.
She earned a graduate degree after returning to the US. According to Forbes, Patel currently resides in Florida.
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Mona Patel founded eight companies in the US
According to Patel’s website, she founded eight companies in industries like healthcare, tech and real estate.
Her first business was launched in 2006. Her website states that her companies employ over 100 people globally and have created over USD 100 million in enterprise value. This means that the net worth of Mona Patel can be in millions of dollars, but there is no confirmed figure.
Due to her success as an entrepreneur, Patel was recognised as one of the Forbes 100 honorees. In 2021, she completed Stanford University’s executive programme and followed it up with an educational stint at Harvard Business School a year later.
Her Instagram account also mentions that she is an alum of MIT Sloan School of Management.
She is married to Dr Chintan Desai
Mona Patel is also married to Dr Chintan Desai, the MD and founder of CareFirst Imaging. He is a fellow of the American College of Radiology and the president of the Florida Radiological Society.
In an interview with Spirit and Flesh Magazine in 2020, Patel described their marriage ceremony as a “sunset wedding on the beach with a sand ceremony and only two guests – my brother and sister.”
In the same interview describing the US, she said that “the lifestyle here is definitely very different compared to India and “it has its pros and cons.”
She runs the non-profit Couture for Cause
Mona Patel is also known for her work in empowering girls through her NGO — Couture for Cause. The organisation is unique: it marries her philanthropic pursuits with her love for fashion.
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In this way, the NGO auctions one-of-a-kind couture pieces to raise funds for charities that align with Patel’s progressive advocacy for gender equality, women’s entrepreneurship, and girls’ education.
(Hero and Featured images: Mona Patel/@hautemona/Instagram)
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– How much is Mona Patel’s net worth?
Mona Patel’s net worth is not clear. Her website states that the companies she created have an enterprise value of over USD 100 million.
