Did Isha Ambani Carry A Real Mango To The Met Gala?

If you looked closely at Isha Ambani's custom-made Gaurav Gupta sari at the Met Gala to admire all the details, chances are you've been stumped by her bag. It's a golden net carrying what looks like…. a mango?

I mean, yes, it's mango season in India, and a fact page just went viral after posting about how we're the biggest mango producer of the world (and we eat 99% of it ourselves). But carrying a real mango all the way to the Met seems too good to be true, no?

Met Gala host Ashley Graham thought so too. But turns out, the mango is not real. It's a very realistic looking sculpture by veteran Indian artist, Subodh Gupta. “Actually, it’s like 20 years old. It’s not recent,” added the Reliance mogul about her accessory. In anything, the mango is made of steel.

What Did Isha Ambani Wear To The Met Gala 2026?

For fashion's biggest night, Ambani wore a custom-made sari by Gaurav Gupta woven with real gold threads, all woven by the artisans at the Indian label Swadesh. The look was styled by Anaita Shroff Adjania, and featured hand-painted pichwai word on the border. Additional zardozi, aari and relief work feature throughout the sari.

But the standout is the bodice. Envisioned by Nita Ambani and made by Kantilal Chhotalal, it features over two hundred hand-cut diamonds from the Ambani matriarch’s private jewellery collection, all held together by a diamond and emerald sarpej at the back. It also features little nods to her life and gifts she has received over the course of time. A sculptural cape by Gaurav Gupta adds an additional ethereal layer to the final ensemble.

Who is Subodh Gupta?

Subodh Gupta is a Brooklyn-based contemporary artist, and one of the most prolific ones of our generation. Working with a variety of different media, including but not limited to photography, sculptures, illustrations, and performance, his works are a commentary on the social, economic and cultural situations of modern day India.

His latest collection, A Fistful of Sky, is on display at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai till May 17.