Billionaire philanthropist Sudha Reddy wore a custom Manish Malhotra couture ensemble featuring a 550-carat tanzanite necklace to the 2026 Met Gala.
Reddy used the global platform to highlight traditional Indian craftsmanship during an event that celebrated fashion as an embodied art form. By blending high-value jewelry with ancestral textile arts, the appearance signaled a bridge between luxury fashion and cultural heritage.
The ensemble was inspired by the Indian Kalamkari craft, a traditional style of hand-painting or block-printing on fabric. The creation of the gown was a massive undertaking, requiring 3,459 hours of labor [3] from a team of 90 artisans [4].
Central to the look was a tanzanite pendant and necklace. The gemstone weighs 550 carats [2] and carries an estimated value of $15 million [1].
Reddy, who serves as a director of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) and founded the Sudha Reddy Foundation, attended the event on the first Monday in May 2026 [5]. The gala took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City.
The 2026 theme focused on the intersection of fashion and art. This prompt led Reddy to choose a design that emphasized the manual skill of Indian artisans over modern industrial production.
“The gown required 3,459 hours of work by 90 artisans.”
The presence of high-net-worth individuals like Reddy at the Met Gala, specifically utilizing couture that requires thousands of hours of manual labor, reflects a growing trend of 'cultural diplomacy' through fashion. By pairing a $15 million gemstone with Kalamkari craft, the display elevates traditional folk art to the status of global luxury, potentially increasing international demand for specialized Indian artisanal work.
