Met Gala 2024: Isha Ambani’s Hand Embroidered Sari Gown Took Over 10,000 Hours To Create

Met Gala 2024: Isha Ambani exudes the magic of floral elegance in a timeless bespoke sari gown designed by couturier Rahul Mishra.

Envisioned by renowned celebrity fashion stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania and Rahul, the hand embroidered ensemble commemorates Met Gala 2024 official dress code ‘The Garden of Time’.

Ahead of her attendance at the 2024 Costume Institute exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art titled Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion in New York, Isha’s nature-inspired elegant look was shared by Anaita on her Instagram account.

Celebrating India through its crafts and artisans, the masterpiece also marks Rahul Mishra’s debut at the prestigious Met Gala 2024. Anaita who has also styled celebrities including Alia Bhatt and Natasha Poonawalla for the Met Gala in the past, took to Instagram to share a detailed description behind this iconic masterpiece adorned by Isha Ambani.

“Our garden of time. Isha is wearing a bespoke hand-embroidered couture sari gown from Indian designer Rahul Mishra. For this year’s Met Gala theme of ‘The Garden of Time’, Rahul and I set out to depict nature’s glorious and bountiful lifecycle in this custom look for Isha, which took over 10,000 hours to complete,” expresses Anaita.

Embracing sustainability, the ensemble incorporated intricate elements from Rahul’s past collections. Delicate samples of flowers, butterflies, and dragonflies were meticulously integrated from the archives into the design, via distinct applique and embroidery techniques such as fareesha, zardozi, nakshi and dabka, as well as French knots. “Together, all of these elements carry a powerful narrative about the state of the planet and offer a message of hope and rebirth. The magnificent look was intricately hand embroidered at Rahul Mishra’s ateliers across several Indian villages, supporting hundreds of local craftspeople and weavers,” adds Anaita.

Isha complemented her gown with a clutch crafted by Swadesh using the ancient Indian art forms of Nakashi and Miniature painting. The exquisite Jade clutch bag features an Indian Miniature painting created by Jaipur artisan Hari Narain Marotia, a traditional art form that has been practiced in India for centuries. Despite its small scale, the painting is highly detailed and expressive, featuring India’s national bird, the Mayura.

Enhancing her impeccable style quotient were the traditional jewellery pieces consisting of lotus hand bracelets also known as haath pochas, parrot earrings and a flower choker designed by Viren Bhagat. Isha’s hair and makeup was done by Yianni Tsaptori and Tanvi Chemburkar.

“Our goal, as always was to take India to the world,” adds Anaita.