Designers Share Stories Behind Their Creations For Ambani Pre-Wedding

The pre-wedding festivities celebrating the youngest Ambani heir, Anant, and his soon-to-be-bride, Radhika Merchant, was a feast of extravagance, but the layers of the event went deeper than meets the eye.

Every design, from the jewels to the clothes, were thought-out depictions representing values close to the bride and groom and spoke to both personal and cultural values for the couple. “It was an amazing and beautifully envisioned celebration, not only was it lavish but it was so filled with love. Every single aspect of the event was about the family’s love for one another, the community, and culture,” says jewelry designer, Lorraine Schwartz in an interview. The designer was present at the wedding and created key jewelry pieces for the festivities.

The celebrations were held the backdrop of Vantara, the animal rehabilitation center founded by the groom, and the venue held the most significance for the couple. The 3000-acre refuge is the manifestation of Anant’s vision for a brighter future for the animal kingdom, from spreading awareness on the mistreatment of animals to working to breed near-extinct species.

"Both Anant and Radhika are genuinely passionate about animals and holding these events at Vantara was profoundly impactful to the cause,” says Orhan Awatramani, a close and personal friend of the bride and groom. “The events brought incredible exposure and shone a spotlight on the good work that’s been done, and also spread the message on the state of animals in the world and the challenges to overcome in improving their welfare.”

Read on to see how each of these internationally renowned designers collaborated with the family to meld ideas, concepts, and values to create heirloom pieces for future generations.

Shane Peacock, Fashion Designer and Co-Founder, Falguni Shane Peacock

Falguni Shane Peacock is one of India’s most celebrated brands both at home and abroad for its dramatic take and modern interpretations of classic Indian craft. Founded by husband and wife duo, Falguni and Shane Peacock, the couple’s collections span the gamut from a Western ready-to-wear label (which they present during New York Fashion Week) to couture Indian bridal, and everything in between.

The look they created for Isha Ambani was a showstopper of a lehenga—an Indian style of clothing consisting of two pieces, a cropped top and voluminous skirt—which the designers infused with the glamour of red carpet couture.

It has to be said, at Indian weddings it’s culturally appropriate for all guests to come dressed extraordinarily, as compared to Western weddings where only the bride and groom are meant to shine. This is why Isha Ambani’s look, in its full extravagance, is in line with tradition as it's de rigueur for the family of the bride and groom at Indian weddings to shine brightly.

“It was a total of 54 people who worked on this outfit and it took about 1,100 hours to make.

For our Indian-wear line, it has always been about amalgamating our Western aesthetics with Indian elements—which is what we’ve done even with Isha Ambani’s outfit. When Isha told us she was looking for something floral, we knew we had to do something different while maintaining our signature aesthetic. So if you see, the outfit is a Lehenga, but the 3D Pearl flowers on it are something you’d see on a bespoke haute couture gown. Also, we ditched the conventional blouse to go with the Lehenga skirt and created a sheer-sleeved, cropped blouse with lots of tassel details. It could almost pass off as a Bohemian cropped top.

Since flowers were the highlight of this look, we took a step forward and crafted 3D flowers with pearls. Usually, we craft them in acrylic but this ensemble had all-pearl, chunky flowers in 3D to complement the exaggerated floral cape. Pearls were the hero in their piece as we added many tassels made of pearls to the blouse, as well. Ultimately, the outfit did end up being a little on the heavier side but she carried it so gracefully and elegantly.

When we design our Indian-wear collection, we marry the traditional elements with modern. So if the silhouette is a traditional Lehenga, we’d create a blouse that contemporary. Or if the silhouette is modern, then we accentuate it with traditional, regal motifs.

As to why it was white, well, Isha wanted us to create something in white, and so we created one.”

Lorraine Schwartz, Jewelry Designer and Founder, Lorraine Schwartz

Known for her elaborate and intricate jewelry designs favored by the likes of Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, and Angelina Jolie, Schwartz’s work is often made of such large-scale stones set in dramatic settings that the pieces require several fittings with the wearer to ensure exceptional match, proper fit, and comfort. Schwartz created several pieces for the Ambani events, although the brooch she made for the groom-to-be of a lion carried special significance for the couple. Made of yellow diamonds and finished with a standout 50+ carat natural diamond hanging from the lion’s mouth, Schwartz collaborated closely with the couple to create a piece that carried as much meaning for her as it did for the couple.

“We are very much a couture house for jewelry, and this brooch was made with so much passion and love. They wanted something that would be important—a statement piece without taking over. It needed to symbolize their love for animals, and also Anant’s strength, power, and the couple’s love for one another. He’s an extraordinary person with such a strong heart and determination. This lion represented all of these traits. We wanted to show this strength.

This brooch has to be seen in person to truly be appreciated because its body is made of vivid yellow diamonds. The mane, though, is made of many different shades of yellow diamonds to give it texture and dimension. There was a 50+ carat colorless white diamond hanging from the mouth and the eyes are made of emeralds, which are known to be a spiritual stone with healing powers and good luck. Also, the lion is standing on a platform made of Asscher cut white diamond which symbolizes grounding.”

Manish Malhotra, Fashion Designer and Founder, Manish Malhotra

One of India’s most respected and award-winning designers, Malhotra is known for his love of Indian craft which translates into clothes which showcases, yet at the same time, redefines India’s textile traditions. While he takes these traditions and translates them into modern interpretations, he does so though a very classic lens. Malhotra was entrusted to create many of the looks for the pre-wedding festivities, including elaborate lehengas worn by the bride-to-be, mother-daughter looks worn by Mrs. Ambani and her daughter, Isha, and many of the sherwanis (the formal wear tunic Indian men wear for special occasions) worn by the groom.

“Knowing the family so closely over the years and sharing a passion for uplifting our country’s craft and culture played a significant role in inspiring the designs for the pre-wedding events.

Creating designs like these requires a careful balance between traditional Indian aesthetics and international dimensions. I wanted to showcase the rich cultural heritage of India while keeping it modern and relevant for the global stage and still incorporating their individual personalities.

Each piece celebrated our country’s rich heritage and intricate craftsmanship evoking stories of our tradition, love, and memory. Whether it was using over 20,000 crystals sourced globally for Radhika’s lehenga, recreating a custom Zardozi Jaal for Shloka, or collaborating with Swadesh to bring to life the unconditional bond of a mother and daughter (Mrs. Nita Ambani and Isha Ambani) via handloom, I’m proud of working with Mrs. Nita Ambani and the family so closely on such a personal event.”

Parthiv Mehta, Owner and 3rd Generation Jeweler, Kantilal Chhotalal

Kantilal Chhotalal is one of India’s legacy jewelers who are known for their incomparable and impeccable diamonds. Mehta, whose family business this is, was personally asked to create several pieces for the celebrations as his master craftspeople are amongst the few in the country with the skills to set the most challenging designs. Amongst the creations Mehta made for the celebrations, it was one necklace consisting of heart-shaped diamonds he created in collaboration with the couple and Mrs. Nita Ambani which held very special meaning.

“Hearts, the symbol of eternal and universal love, are favored by Radhika, and the stones in this piece were hand-picked by Anant himself. Stone by stone, Anant was deeply involved in identifying the perfect heart-shaped stones for the piece. He meticulously assimilated this collection of rare, perfectly graded D flawless white diamonds and matched intense yellow diamonds which took him over a year to source.

Although, this necklace truly came to be through his mother's discerning eye for design. In reality, the piece owes itself to her. This design was conceptualized by Mrs. Ambani herself as her ability to envision patterns and design in diamonds is unparalleled.

The design process was not just about aesthetics, it was about encapsulating the essence of Anant and Radhika's love story into a wearable masterpiece. Each stone tells the story of a chapter in the epic tale of Anant and Radhika's love, which only they know about, and the necklace is a symbol of the powerful story of their love.

The line of yellow and white solitaires is illuminated with the fire of five radiant hearts nestled at the center which results in a deep contrast between stones. Each curve, each facet, was imbued with meaning, representing the journey of their relationship and the depth of their bond.

Each stone is set by a master artisan to magnify its luster and brilliance. Every setting minimizes the use of metal, and any visible metal is sheathed in diamond pave sockets, using techniques perfected over generations of fine craftsmanship. Our master craftspeople bring unparalleled precision and artistry to setting the heart shapes, whose intricate curves and proportions make them a rare specialty and therefore, challenging to set.

It's this dedication to the craft that imbues this piece with a sense of timeless elegance, and truly celebrates the remarkable stones as a work of art to be cherished for generations to come.”