Isha Ambani turned heads at the Met Gala 2026, but it was not only her outfit that sparked global conversation. The real showstopper sat elegantly in her hair, a breathtaking jasmine gajra made from 600 handmade paper flowers.
The now-viral hair piece came from Brooklyn-based artist and designer Sourabh Gupta, who created the sculpture exclusively for Ambani’s red carpet moment. While many believed the flowers were real, Gupta revealed the intricate accessory was crafted using paper, copper, and brass.
Speaking from his studio, Gupta shared that he barely slept while working on the masterpiece. He said he spent several nights resting for only a few hours as his team raced to complete the design before fashion’s biggest night.
Every petal and floral detail was shaped and painted by hand inside Gupta’s 5,000-square-foot Brooklyn studio. Although the final piece used around 600 flowers, the team initially made more than 1,000 blooms before selecting the finest ones.
That careful process gave the piece its lifelike beauty and luxurious finish. As a result, the gajra quickly became one of the most talked-about beauty accessories from the Met Gala 2026.
The collaboration reportedly began when celebrity stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania approached Gupta with a creative vision. She referenced iconic paintings by Raja Ravi Varma as inspiration, along with the timeless tradition of floral gajras worn by Indian women.
Gupta then added personal memories from his childhood in Hiranagar, Jammu and Kashmir. He recalled how his father brought jasmine flowers each morning for the family prayer room. Those memories helped shape the emotional depth behind the design.
Instead of creating a traditional floral accessory, Gupta reimagined the gajra with metallic elements and a more modern silhouette. Therefore, the final result blended heritage, nostalgia, and futuristic fashion in one unforgettable statement.
This was not Gupta’s first Met Gala spotlight. He previously worked with Tory Burch in 2019 and Ivy Getty in 2022. However, his latest creation for Isha Ambani may be his most talked-about work yet.
Gupta says flowers inspire him because their beauty is brief. He loves capturing the perfect moment when a bloom opens, moves in light, or reaches full elegance before fading away.
That philosophy explains why his jasmine gajra felt so powerful at the Met Gala. It transformed a temporary flower into a timeless work of art.
Isha Ambani’s appearance once again placed Indian craftsmanship and creativity on the world stage. Meanwhile, the viral accessory has become one of the most searched fashion moments online, proving that heritage details can dominate global luxury conversations.
