Met Gala 2026: Isha Ambani - Jasmine Hair Sculpture, by Sourabh Gupta
Isha Ambani’s stylist, Anaita Shroff Adajania, developed a vision for Isha’s 2026 Met Gala look inspired by the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma - in particular Padmini (The Lotus Lady) - alongside traditional Indian references such as the saree, the mango, and the mogra (jasmine) flower.
Ambani wore a jasmine hair sculpture inspired by the mogra and gajra. Sourabh individually hand-shaped each jasmine bud and bloom using paper, copper and brass, finishing them with Indian pigment paint.
For the Met Gala theme, Fashion is Art, Isha Ambani became the composition. The mogra gajra and paranda are deeply iconic within Indian culture, evoking beauty, adornment, and the intoxicating familiarity of jasmine. Traditionally worn in forms ranging from simple strands to intricate woven arrangements, the piece created for Isha was reimagined at an outsized scale and dramatic length - a romantic, flowing artwork.
Taking over 150 hours to create, each of the more than 600 jasmine buds and blooms were individually handmade and constructed from paper and metal.
“In nature, a flower blooms for a day and then it’s gone. There’s a particular romantic moment that I want to capture, freezing that time when the light falls on it perfectly or when it moves a certain way. Like in a photograph, or the Pahadi-style paintings I would see as a child.”
— Sourabh Gupta The Nod