Sudha Reddy returned to the Met Gala on Monday in one of the evening’s most craft-intensive looks, wearing custom Manish Malhotra couture and a necklace valued at more than $15 million from her personal collection.

The Indian billionaire philanthropist and businesswoman arrived at the 2026 Met Gala in “The Tree of Life,” a custom creation by Malhotra styled by Mariel Haenn. The look drew from Kalamkari, the Indian textile tradition with a history that stretches back roughly 3,000 years, and connected the evening’s “Costume Art” theme to Hyderabad and Telangana, Reddy’s home region. The tradition is known for hand-painted natural dyes and intricate depictions of mythology, nature and cosmology, with the Tree of Life among its most enduring motifs.

Reddy’s gown started with a deep royal blue velvet corset, cut with a wide neckline and covered through the bodice in antique gold floral embroidery. Below the waist, the velvet fell close through the hips before opening into a long train.…