A hand-painted contribution to a Manish Malhotra couture commission, worn at the Met Gala.
A cape, painted by hand, in the language of Raja Ravi Varma.
The garment was a Manish Malhotra couture commission worn by Karan Johar for his Met Gala debut, May 2026 — a tribute to Raja Ravi Varma and a layering of three crafts on a single piece: hand-painting, zardozi embroidery, and three-dimensional embellishment.
The brushwork was carried by an atelier of more than eighty hands across the spring. Ours is the brush among them, written here as a quiet credit, for those who care to look closely.
Raja Ravi Varma painted oil onto canvas in the late nineteenth century — Indian mythology and royal portraiture, rendered in the European academic style. The translation here is one of surface. The same line, lifted onto silk. Drawn by a hand instead of a print. No simulated patterns. No digital transfers.
“Taking the legacy of Raja Ravi Varma and letting it live again — this time, not on canvas, but in motion.” — Karan Johar, Met Gala 2026
A piece of this scale is the work of many hands. This page sets the record for one of them — quietly, accurately, and with the credit chain it deserves.
Bespoke hand-painted couture, fabric & canvas. The atelier accepts a small number of commissions each year.