Isha Ambani once again made global headlines with her presence at the fashion world’s biggest platform ‘Met Gala 2026’. Giving meaning to this year’s theme ‘Fashion is Art’, Isha Ambani presented a unique confluence of Indian heritage, history and contemporary art. She wore a specially designed saree by designer Gaurav Gupta for the biggest night in the fashion world. The sari featured hand-painted Pichwai-inspired designs and a sculptural cape, which is Gupta’s signature style.
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This saree was woven by the artisans of ‘Swadesh’ with pure gold threads. ‘Swadesh’ is a retail brand started by Reliance Retail that sells only products made by artisans. The blouse was also studded with real diamonds. The back of the blouse was made even more stunning with a priceless piece of history—a sparkling ‘sarpech’, which was once part of the Nizam’s jewelery collection.
In an interview with Vogue on the red carpet, Ambani said, “This blouse has many pieces of my mother’s jewelry.” Designer Gaurav Gupta wrote in an Instagram post, “This dress (blouse) is studded with over 1800 carats of diamonds, as well as emeralds, polkis and kundans. All this together gives it a vibrant look of heritage and art.”
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But the features of this spectacular Met Gala look of Ambani do not end here. Along with her beautiful saree and jewellery, she also brought a piece of art with her to the red carpet—a mango sculpture by Subodh Gupta, which she kept in a crochet bag. This sculpture was not only a tribute to India’s heritage, but it was also a living example of ‘art in hand’. This was in perfect sync with this year’s theme ‘Fashion is Art’.
Subodh Gupta is a well-known Indian contemporary artist. He is famous for transforming everyday objects—such as utensils and food items—into large and spectacular works of art.
To add a touch of Indianness to her Met Gala look, Ambani also sported a Gajra-inspired artefact in her hair. This accessory was an artistic take on the traditional Mogra Gajra. It was created by Brooklyn artist Saurabh Gupta with his own hands using paper, copper and brass. Isha Ambani ushered in an India-centric atmosphere by wearing a stunning ‘bandage dress’ at a pre-Met Gala party in New York City on May 1. There was actually a map of India drawn on this dress. The dress was created using 26 different types of borders, each representing a particular region of India and its art.
For the last three years, Ambani has been consistently wearing clothes made by Indian designers at the Met Gala. In the year 2024, she chose a floral gown designed by Rahul Mishra. Last year, she wore an ‘androgynous’ outfit designed by Anamika Khanna. And this year too, she continued her tradition by wearing this royal saree made in collaboration with Gaurav Gupta and ‘Swadesh’.