Ambani Wedding Fashion Review
It is the wedding everyone has been talking about for months – billionaire son Anant Ambani and Rhadika Merchant tied the knot from 12 to 14 July 2024. In contrast to weddings in Europe and North America, there are many additional functions usually the week leading up to the actual wedding. In the case of the Ambani wedding, it has been an even longer affair. The pre-wedding events started in March 2024 (more about this here) and since then, it feels like this wedding has been all over the news. There was no escaping it – whether you are interested in weddings, Indian fashion, or these types of events, this wedding seemed to be everywhere. (The coverage in India but also internationally has been so extensive that some say it is already too much.) Let’s look into the outfits in more detail.
You can also watch my video here:
Some “housekeeping” for this article:
1) This article, like my YouTube video, focuses on the fashion ONLY – this is not about the event, the hosts, any gossip, or judging anyone. This wedding put Indian fashion on the map and as I think it deserves much more spotlight, I wanted to use this opportunity so that we can all learn something from this event.
2) These highlights – as the term suggests – are a selection of outfits. This is not a comprehensive article about all the outfits worn by the family and guests during the whole event. (This would have gone beyond the scope of this article.) If there are some outfits which you particularly liked (or even disliked) please feel free to comment in the section below or under the YouTube video to continue the discussion there.
You may also notice that some designers were more prominent than others. This is no coincidence, as the Ambani-owned Reliance Group holds shares in several designers and brands (similar to the LVMH-model). Hence, you will see a lot of Manish Malhotra, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Anamika Khanna, for example.
Radhika Merchant
Sangeet Outfit
What is a sangeet ceremony? The word “sangeet” goes back to Sansrikt and means “sung together”, it is also often used synonymously with “song”. The sangeet is a pre-wedding ceremony, which was traditionally organized by the women of the bride’s and groom’s families and it was a women-only event a few days before the wedding ceremony. In general, it involves singing and dancing with family and friends and there are different ways to celebrate – some people choose the more traditional way with dancing traditional folk songs and drums, others organize a night with rehearsed Bollywood choreographies. I’ve seen many different versions of it. Often, the choreographies are not only to Bollywood songs but international pop songs as well. It is usually dancing in different groups – the bride’s friends, the “aunties”, etc. and people can get really competitive in which group won.[1]
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wore bespoke outfits by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. The bride wore a blush pink chandelier-inspired lehenga hand-embroidered with Swarovski crystals and beautiful details on the sleeve reference chandeliers as well. The groom chose a complementing royal blue embroidered bandhgala suit, also called “Jodhpuri suit”, which is a formal Indian suit. It featured real gold Zari threading.[2]
For the after-party, Rhadika wore Manish Malhotra, I am not sure if this would be my kind of outfit, but I liked the twist – no pastel colours, she looks very mature – I think in the other outfits, they aimed for a more “girly” and softer look. I like that fashion-side of her, we can always use a bit of drama.[3]
Haldi Ceremony
For the haldi ceremony, Radhika Merchant opted for a yellow lehenga by Anamika Khanna. This colour is not a coincidence as it references turmeric which is considered auspicious and is put on the bride and groom during this ceremony. While the dupatta made of real flowers was immediately noticed and discussed online, the intricately embroidered silk lehenga was almost not noticed. It was one of my favourite outfits because firstly, you had to look twice to see the beautiful details and secondly, it was a move away from the many traditional ensembles chosen for the wedding. The lehenga featured colourful floral embroidery at the lower hem of the skirt and at the waist. The flower dupatta was brought to life, Radhika Merchant and her stylist Rhea Kapoor worked with Floral Art by Shrishti Kapur. This shawl was made of tagar kalis (jasmine buds), yellow button daisies, Thai rui flowers and genda (marigolds). Similarly, the jewellery also picked up the same flowers.[4]
Mausalu Ceremony
The Mausalu ceremony, also known as Mameru ceremony, is celebrated in the state of Gujarat. The term ‘Mameru’ is derived from “Mama”, which means maternal uncle and it shows the importance of the extended family. In the case of this wedding, Nita Ambani, the groom’s mother, and her family hosted the ceremony. Radhika Merchant wore, again, Manish Malhotra – it is a nice colourful outfit, I am not sure if it is an outfit we will all remember for a long time. The bride brought the two families together by wearing her mother’s jewellery at the event hosted by her soon-to-be husband’s family.[5]
Tarun Tahiliani Mirrorwork Lehenga
Radhika Merchant also wore a Banjara- and Kutchi-inspired lehenga by Tarun Tahiliani. While mirrorwork can be tricky, this ensemble was a fun and contemporary take on the traditional technique.[6]
Wedding Ceremony
For the actual wedding ceremony, we saw a familiar name: Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. Some people criticised the colours, most likely because it was not red. But this intentional choice refers to “Panetar”, the Gujarati tradition of brides wearing red and white. Again, Radhika Merchant wore family heirlooms, namely the jewellery her maternal grandmother, her mother and her sister wore to their weddings. I have to say, on the pictures it looks OK, it does not give me the any “wow” factor, but maybe there was a different effect in real life. According to her stylist Rhea Kapoor, the gaghra, the skirt, has a second detachable trail and features different types of floral embroidery – Nagshi, Saadj and Zardozi – with stones, sequins and red silk. I explained Zardozi embroidery in my previous article about the Ambani Pre-Wedding event in March – it is very delicate embroidery and for its most expensive form even gemstones or gold are used. The 5-meter veil featured Jaal embroidery which created a net effect. The outfit also involved a fully embroidered red shoulder dupatta. Hence, even if it was not visible on the pictures, the craftsmanship aspect was there. Nevertheless, it was not my favourite outfit of the bride.[7]
Vidaai Ceremony
During this part of the wedding, the bride’s parents bid farewell to her. Again, we see Radhika Merchant in Manish Malhotra, and, again, the craftsmanship cannot be debated – the blouse inspired by the abho, a Gujarati garment, features Zardozi work with real gold and pays tribute of the craftsmanship of the late 19th century. The lehenga was multi-paneled Banarasi brocade in sunset hues. Banarasi textiles have been famous for century, they have also been a popular export textile and there are known for their intricacy and craftsmanship. Was it my favourite? While I appreciate the work of the artisans, I found this ensemble very traditional, especially considering the bride’s age.[8]
Art Meets Fashion – Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla x Jayasri Burman
For her evening after the official wedding, the bride wore – again – Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. This is one of the most interesting outfits: the designers collaborated with contemporary Indian artist and sculptor Jayasri Burman who was born in Kolkata in 1960 and is now based in Delhi. She primarily works with watercolour, pen and ink and other mixed mediums and the main themes of her work revolve around nature, gods and goddesses and mythology. In 1985, Burman received the National Award and in 2007, she was honoured by the Government of India with a series of commemorative stamps with her works, released on the occasion of International Women’s Day in 2007.[9]
Twelve individual panels were hand-painted on a special type of Italian canvas to bring Jayasri Burman’s painting to life on the lehenga. They were later embroidered with real gold Zardozi. Burman’s artwork, with her signature style, celebrates the couple. According to Rhea Kapoor’s Instagram, the artwork should “radiate a celestial aura that honours the divinity in their humanity”[10]. (I leave it up to you how you interpret this particular quote.)[11]
Commenting on her work with Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Jayasri Burman said, “Abu Sandeep are artists. The only difference is that their medium is couture while mine is canvas. Both Rhea and Abu Sandeep gave me total creative freedom and understood my essence as an artist. I found my brush dancing all over the canvas. My only hope now is that it inspires a smile on Radhika’s face and maybe someday, we’ll even see it hanging on her wall!” I think it is a beautiful marriage of art and fashion.[12]
The lehenga also depicts a lot of animals, elephants, for example as they are considered auspicious. But these animals also hint at the sanctuary run by Anant Ambani.[13]
Exactly this sanctuary caused some controversy – it was actually a picture of Anant Ambani next to Justin Bieber at the Sangeet after party. The groom was spotted in an alligator skin jacket – or this is at least how it was identified online. (In the course of the research for this article, it could not be determined whether the jacket was made from real alligator skin or imitation leather.) Whether the jacket was made from real alligator skin or not, the damage was immediately done. Many online comments called it “hypocritical” – on the one hand, he advertised running a sanctuary, on the other, he (allegedly) wore alligator skin. This is, yet again, a perfect example of the power of fashion and how it can support but also destroy the message you try to convey.
Dolce & Gabbana Meets Anamika Khanna
Radhika Merchant made another appearance in a top by Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda Sardegna 2024. It is an adaptation of look 23 which was just presented on 2 July 2024. While the top had a transparent effect emphasized by a black bralette underneath, Merchant’s version was not sheer, it can be assumed that it had some gold lining underneath the structure. This top was paired with custom sari by Anamika Khanna. While I like the idea of “East Meeting West”, the top feels too rigid, almost like armour, with the delicate sari. This is probably due to the fact that it was lined in the same tone, while the “original” on the runway was sheer and had a contrast.[14]
Isha Ambani
For the Sangeet, Isha Ambani opted for a reference of an icon: an electric blue custom Schiaparelli sari. On Instagram, her stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania called it the first ever Schiaparelli couture sari. While this could not be 100% confirmed in the course of the research for this aricle, there is a close link between Schiaparelli and India: Elsa Schiaparelli herself was fascinated with the sari. Already in 1935, she designed sari-inspired dresses and this custom sari is a reference to it – not only the shape but also the colour. In May, 1935, Man Ray took a portrait of Nusch Eluard, the wife of the surrealist poet Paul Eluard in a sari dress from the “Stop, Look and Listen” collection presented in February, 1935. This dress came in electric blue or desert rose and was made from rayon crepe, it also had a shawl, which could be worn like a veil and which was attached at the lower back with a large gold clip. Firstly, Isha Ambani’s sari is in electric blue – a reference which was most likely intentional given Daniel Roseberry’s knowledge of the archives. In the front, there is another Schiaparelli house code: the lock. The silver structure at the back is also a reference to the Spring/Summer 2024 couture collection, in a more toned-down version.[15]
Further outfits involved green and silver Manish Malhotra lehenga with a mirror effect (stunning), a colourful and fun ensemble by Torani and a pink lehenga by Tarun Tahiliani. The latter designed the main ensemble worn by Radhika Merchant during the pre-wedding event in March and was another recurring name during the course of the festivities.
Shloka Mehta
While most of the media spotlight was on the bride, and also Isha and Nita Ambani, Shloka Mehta, Anant Ambani’s sister-in-law, was less discussed. Unfortunately, her fashion deserves much more attention – I already mentioned this in my article about the pre-wedding event.
Her Manish Malhotra lehenga was probably most notices online, as it was a reference or reinterpretation of an iconic ensemble worn by Kareena Kapoor for her song Bole Chudiyan.
Shloka Mehta incorporated two more archival/vintage moments into the wedding: She wore archival Manish Malhotra and she also wore her own wedding outfit again to celebrate the couple. According to her stylist and sister, Diya Mehta Jatia, they changed the hue of to a pink undertone. I particularly liked her very colourful ensembles, like the blue lehenga pictured above.
Diya Mehta Jatia
Shloka Mehta’s sister and stylist definitely deserves the spotlight when it comes to fashion. My most favourite outfit of the wedding was her fun and colourful mirrorwork lehenga by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. Even though we saw a lot by those two designers, this lehenga was so refreshing amongst the many rather traditional outfits. Furthermore, her peach-coloured ensemble was also very pretty. Chapeau!
Nita Ambani
Let’s close the family circle with Nita Ambani. She honoured the city of Varanasi by making it a theme at one of the functions of the wedding. Varanasi is a sacred place in Hinduism and it is probably not a coincidence that the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) is soon opening an exhibition related to Varanasi. Nita Ambani’s sari was by – surprise, surprise – Manish Malhotra – and took six months to weave by selected weavers from the region. It is a so-called Rangkat sari which is known for vibrant colours and intricate design and it is embellished with Zardozi embroidery and brocade.[16]