Sabyasachi Takes On The Byzantine Empire With New Met Museum Collaboration

Sabyasachi Mukherjee is on a generational run right now. Right from January last year, when the 25th anniversary show of his eponymous label became the show of the season, to his first gallery opening the next month, two unforgettable Met Gala years (to be fair, he and his designs have been regulars at the Gala at this point), a return to New York Fashion Week later this year after a seventeen year gap, it's been nothing but an unbroken climb. Today, the fashion stalwart announced a multi-year collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, opening with a High Jewellery collection dropping later this year.

In fact, his return to NYFW is just the first chapter of this collaboration. The collection will have a specific focus on this jewellery collection, specifically looking at the idea of cultural exchange through the lens of the Byzantine Empire.

History lesson here: the Byzantine Empire, centred around Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), was the Eastern Roman Empire after Rome fell to Germanic tribes. Byzantium was the main junction between the East and the West, and as such, it absorbed Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Persian influences in equal measure. It was a major stop on the Silk Route that passed through India, thus helping spread elements of Indian culture beyond the boundaries of the subcontinent. 

Currently, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the most comprehensive collections of Byzantine and Late Antique jewellery in the world. The new collaboration sees Mukherjee draw from imperial medallions, architectural ornament, ancient statuary and religious iconography sourced from the Met's Greek & Roman, Medieval and Islamic art departments. 

Take for example the gold wrist cuff with garnet cabochons, inspired by a 3rd century marble sarcophagus with lions felling an antelope. Or the tourmaline and jade-studded tiger claw motif necklace inspired by a 12th century Byzantine casket. There’s also the drop earrings inspired by coins issued by the Mughal emperor Jehangir, and pendants inspired by 11th century German book cover plagues.

Stephen Mannello, the Met's Head of Retail and Global Licensing, believes the partnership is a way to see centuries-old objects freshly. “Engaging with Sabyasachi and his team allows us to view works from antiquity through a new lens, shining a spotlight on stories of the past through his creative viewpoint,” he has said of the collaboration.

"The Byzantine world was not defined by a single geography,” explains Mukherjee. “It was shaped by the movement of people, ideas, and craftsmanship across continents including India. What fascinates me is not only Byzantium itself, but the civilizations that informed it and the extraordinary artistic dialogue that emerged from interactions through trade. I find similarities to my home, Calcutta, itself a commercial hub influenced by trade and exchange. Through this collaboration, we are able to transform historic inspiration into modern interpretations that feel relevant, beautiful, and desirable today."

The collection debuts on the runway at New York Fashion Week on September 15, folding the Met collaboration into that seventeen-year comeback, then lands at Sabyasachi's flagship on Christopher Street in the West Village, alongside the brand's other global stores and select retailers.