Isha Ambani Brings Indian Heritage to Met Gala in Stunning Gold-Threaded Sari

Isha Ambani brought the spotlight to Indian craftsmanship at the 2026 Met Gala, held Monday (May 4) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The entrepreneur donned a custom Gaurav Gupta creation—a sari woven entirely with pure gold threads and styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania. According to Vogue, the piece represents a masterwork of traditional Indian artistry, with over 50 master artisans from Swadesh dedicating more than 1,200 hours to its creation.

The sari draws inspiration from ancient Indian frescoes, with its border showcasing hand-painted pichwai-inspired motifs in earthy tones. The painted surface features an intricate blend of hand embroidery techniques, including zardozi, aari work, and relief embroidery that layer together seamlessly.

The bodice commands particular attention, adorned with metallic zardozi hand embroidery and more than 200 old mine-cut diamonds hand-sewn across its surface. The diamonds come from Nita Ambani's private collection, adding a luxurious finishing touch to the garment.

This year's Met Gala celebrates the Met's Costume Art exhibition, which examines "the centrality of the dressed body" through the museum's extensive collection. The dress code theme is "Fashion is Art," and the gala's co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. The annual event draws hundreds of A-list celebrities to fashion's biggest night of the year.