Met Gala 2026: Isha Ambani stuns in desi couture, featuring Nizam-era jewels, and a 20 YO mango sculpture

Isha Ambani made a compelling statement in support of Indian fashion and heritage at the Met Gala 2026.

For fashion’s most celebrated evening, she chose a bespoke saree designed by Gaurav Gupta. The ensemble featured intricate, hand-painted motifs inspired by Pichwai painting, paired with a dramatic sculptural cape, a signature element of the designer’s aesthetic. Isha's ensemble was crafted over 1200 hours by over 50 artisans and together, textile, jewellery, and form into a single, continuous expression.

How Isha Ambani’s Met Gala look blends luxury with legacy

The saree itself was crafted using pure gold threads by artisans from Swadesh, an initiative by Reliance Retail that focuses exclusively on handmade craftsmanship. The highlight of the look, however, was a blouse which was adorned entirely with supersized gemstones and jewellery.

The back of the blouse featured an exquisite sarpech that once belonged to the famed Nizam of Hyderabad’s jewellery collection.

"The blouse is full of my mother's jewellery pieces," Ambani said in an interview, on her way to the gala.

"Over 1800 carats of diamonds, alongside emeralds, polki and kundan, are embedded into the garment (the blouse), transforming it into a living surface of inheritance and form," designer Gaurav Gupta wrote in an Instagram post.

Isha also carried a piece of art to the red carpet, a mango sculpture by Subodh Gupta in a crochet bag. The sculpture was not only a nod to India’s heritage but also an embodiment of art which was in complete sync with this year’s ‘Fashion is Art’ theme.

Subodh Gupta is widely recognised for elevating everyday objects, such as utensils and food, into powerful spectacles.

Isha Ambani adorned her hair with a sculptural piece inspired by the traditional mogra gajra. This unique accessory was an artistic reinterpretation, handcrafted using paper, copper, and brass by Brooklyn-based artist Sourabh Gupta.

She had already set a distinctly India-centric tone ahead of the main event. At a pre-Met Gala gathering in New York City on May 1, Ambani turned heads in a striking bandage dress designed to resemble a map of India. The ensemble incorporated 26 different borders, each symbolising a unique region and traditional craft from across the country.

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