“Repurposing” in fashion usually refers to vintage fabrics or upcycled materials. But for the Ambani family, it describes a much more fun form of alchemy: the creative engineering of royal heirlooms. By
shifting historic ornaments from their intended placements to avant-garde positions, they are proving that the most traditional jewels can also be the most radical (and gorgeous).
The most recent example of this “functional pivot” came at the 2026 Met Gala. Isha Ambani arrived in a custom Gaurav Gupta ensemble that was already a marvel of gold and diamonds, but the conversation-starter was hidden in the details. Pinned to the back of her bejewelled blouse was a historic Sarpech—an ornament traditionally reserved for a man’s turban. The Sarpech, as she shared, was her mother Nita Ambani’s, and belonged to the Nizam, upping the ante of her blouse. This way, Isha didn’t just wear jewellery but also turned its architecture and history into a focal point of feminine couture.
Breaking The Rules Of Regalia
This isn’t the first time the family has treated their archives as a versatile toolkit. Nita Ambani has long pioneered this philosophy, most notably by transforming a Kalgi (also called a Sarpech) a feathered turban plume traditionally worn by royalty, into a stunning armlet. The Kalgi once belonged to Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, and she restyled it as a baajubandh.
This choice requires more than just a stylist; it requires a deep understanding of jewellery history and the confidence to break its rigid rules. It’s about liberating these pieces from their traditional silhouettes. When you take a piece meant for the head and place it on the arm or the back, you change the way the light hits it and the way the body carries it.
We Love Bejewelled Blouses
The trend signals a broader move in Indian luxury: the rise of the bejewelled blouse. No longer a mere supporting garment to a saree, the blouse has become a primary base for high jewellery. This shift from “wearing” jewelry to “integrating” it into the garment’s structure—often involving 1,800 carats of diamonds or 18k gold frames—requires a unique synergy between the couturier and the jeweller.
And the credit for this trend goes to the OG queen of jewels, Isha again. For Anant Ambani’s wedding celebrations, Isha took the term literally. Under the creative eye of stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania, designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla dismantled heirloom ornaments from Isha’s personal collection and reassembled them onto a red fabric base. Diamonds, emeralds, and rubies were hand-stitched with gold and silver Zardozi, creating a couture piece that was essentially a high-security vault in blouse form. And at the Met Gala 2026, she has once again brought her signature style to the fore.
