In Size M. | Met Gala 2024
Sabyasachi Mukherjee: The Bengali Creator Behind Alia Bhatt’s Sparkling Saree Supports Small Designers
Hindi movie star Alia Bhatt dazzled in a custom Sabyasachi Mukherjee saree, making history as the first Indian designer to be showcased at the Met Gala.
Mukherjee’s dedication to hand-craftsmanship was highlighted when Bhatt revealed what it took to bring the saree, which includes a 23-foot-long train, to life: 1905 hours and 163 workers.
A champion of the local laborer, Mukherjee created the Sabyasachi Art Foundation in 2014 to serve as an incubator for underprivileged Bengali artists. The Calcutta-born designer looks to the memory of his mother for inspiration: “A wonderfully talented and creative artist, who gave up what could have been a career as an artist to become a teacher, and take care of her children and the home.” The foundation’s Save The Saree initiative focuses on preserving culturally specific methods of garment making: “The mission was to empower the craftspeople and weavers of sarees directly, and to make handwoven and handmade sarees more accessible to the urban and global Indian.” By empowering his local community with the tools they need to create art, Mukherjee reunites human touch with modern design.
