Griffin Dyeworks

Sudha Reddy at the 2026 Met Gala

Hyderabad is not just my origin; it is a language, a rhythm, a way of being. Through this look, I aspired to translate that sensibility into a form that could exist effortlessly on a global stage while remaining deeply rooted in the South Indian imagination.

The Tree of Life, envisioned by Manish Malhotra in collaboration with Mariel Haenn, becomes the central metaphor an unfolding of time, memory and continuity. Drawing from the storytelling traditions of Kalamkari, it is reinterpreted here as something sculptural and alive, where every thread holds a fragment of history. This ensemble is not about nostalgia, it is about evolution. A 3,000-year-old textile tradition is recontextualized through form, texture, and movement: sculpted velvet, antique gold zari, and intricate zardozi come together to create something both archival and immediate. The motifs Palapitta, Jammi Chettu, Kalpavriksha, Tangedu, Surya, Chandra, Kalpa are not merely decorative; they are markers of identity, fragments of home that travel with me. What moves me most is the human touch behind it all. Thousands of hours, countless hands, generations of knowledge woven, embroidered and shaped into a single moment. For me, this is what costume art can be: not just adornment, but a living archive. A way of carrying heritage forward not as something fixed, but as something that continues to grow, transform, and speak. Tonight, I arrive not just wearing a story, but continuing one.

included a mistake or two to let the ghosts out. this was not foundation paper pieced, just a lot of noodling around

i'm responding to these tags so i can post my original mockup:

the three pink blooms absolutely is a traditional block that comes with a lot of different names and variations. i copied it by sight/with graph paper from the above image (Carolina Lily block by Quilt Missouri) and from this Bernina blog post about the Tulips In Vase block.

you can see i was planning to include more traditional blocks and got lost in the sauce of making stuff up. the less traditional blocks in the mockup are by BurlapandBlossom on etsy

1) the egyptians wore socks??

2) the egyptians wore tube socks?????

3) mental image of egyptians now top half traditional imagery and bottom half 70s basketball player

4) multiple sections of the book of the dead are probably march madness brackets

1) medieval egyptians wore socks??

2) medieval egyptians wore tube socks?????

3) mental image of medieval egyptians now top half fatimid vizier and bottom half 70s basketball player

4) multiple sections of ibn al-nafis’ theologus autodidactus are probably march madness brackets

The sock's catalogue page from the George Washington University Textile Museum collections: https://collections-gwu.zetcom.net/en/collection/item/2960/ appended by @jeannetterankin

Further information from a wikipedia page (linked by @acepalindrome) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Islamic_sock.jpg that appears to quote a previous item description from the textile museum:

12th century sock possibly found in Fustat, Egypt. The knitter of this sock started work at the toe and then worked up towards the leg. The heel was made last and then attached to loops formed while knitting the leg. This ingenious practice allowed the heel to be replaced when it wore out without the necessity of making new socks. The sock is thought to have been made in India because it was found with other materials exported from India and sold in the Egyptian market. Indigo dyes most likely color the two rich blue cotton yarns used to make the pattern on the socks. The yarn would have been dipped into indigo dye repeatedly until the desired shade was achieved.

Amber Waves Motif, a free crochet stitch pattern designed by Pendleton Artistry on Ravelry.

“Border fragment of wool with a continuous band of #hummingbirds and fringelike appendages representing beans. Early Nasca [Nazca, Peru, c.1-450 CE]. Pollination of bean plants by birds may be suggested here. Border was formed using a needle-knit stemstitch.”