Isha Ambani has elevated Swadesh to one of the emblems of Indian craftsmanship. India found a proud place on the global stage at the Oscars 2026, with Isha Ambani helping spotlight the richness of the country’s artisanal heritage on one of fashion’s most-watched red carpets. Through Swadesh’s handcrafted jewellery and couture creations, worn by an international line-up of celebrities across Oscars weekend, our craftsmanship, design sensibility and cultural legacy were brought into sharp focus before a worldwide audience. Its appeal was clear at the Oscars weekend, where stars selected its designs that combine age-old skills with fresh, modern aesthetics.
While Swadesh was under the spotlight, Isha Ambani dazzled the paparazzi with a vintage Valentino couture gown from the house’s Fall/Winter 2006–2007 collection.
Zanna Roberts Rassi wore couture by Swadesh x Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, bringing Indian textile craftsmanship to the glittering do. Her hand-embroidered crop top with sculpted power shoulders shimmered with thousands of bugle beads, stones and crystals, done on a luxurious silk brocade canvas. The motifs were inspired by Ikat, a traditional technique in which threads are tied and dyed before weaving, creating distinctive geometric patterns with a soft, blurred effect. Nearly 2000 man-hours were spent creating this picturesque blouse.
At the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy viewing party, Pritika Swarup sported a striking necklace by Swadesh, expressing Indian jewellery craftsmanship through a bold contemporary form. Designed as a finely articulated zip tracing the neckline, the piece transforms an everyday motif into high art. The pull tab is crowned with a 6-carat Zambian emerald, its deep green glow contrasting with the brilliance of hand-set diamonds. 160 hours of rigorous craftsmanship was devoted to the creation of this stunning piece. This necklace reflects Swadesh’s spirit, blending India’s artisanal traditions with modern design.
Law Roach wore a bespoke brooch by Swadesh. Its design is inspired by the bold symmetry of the Art Deco era, echoing the architectural language of the iconic Eros Building in Mumbai, India— also home to Swadesh’s flagship store. Crafted in luminous gold, the composition centres on a vivid ruby whose deep crimson glow is framed by precisely arranged diamonds set in clean, architectural lines.
Each diamond is hand-set with meticulous precision, a process that demands patience and generational mastery from India’s jewellery artisans. The contrast between the ruby’s saturated colour and the crisp sparkle of diamonds gives the brooch a character that feels both contemporary and steeped in craft tradition.
At the Oscars red carpet, Brandi Carlile and Catherine Shepherd wore fine jewellery by Swadesh, bringing the brilliance of Indian craftsmanship to Hollywood’s most iconic stage. Brandi Carlile wore the Petal Prism Brooch, inspired by the organic geometry of a sunflower. Handcrafted in gold and centred around a luminous oval-cut emerald, the brooch is framed by pavé-set diamonds arranged through an open-setting technique that allows light to move freely through the stones. Every petal and the diamond-studded stem were shaped with precision, requiring over 100 man-hours of craftsmanship by master artisans in Telangana, whose goldsmithing traditions have been passed down through generations.
Catherine Shepherd wore a stunning diamond necklace crafted with extraordinary flexibility, designed to drape and flow like fabric. Its articulated construction echoing the delicate barb of a feather, allowing each segment to move in harmony and create a fluid, weightless silhouette along the neckline. A continuous ribbon of hand-set diamonds runs through the piece, arranged in a refined chevron-inspired pattern with subtle Victorian-era detailing that lends the jewel an antique romance.
Minnie Driver adorned the Celestial Tiers multi-row solitaire necklace by Swadesh at the Vanity Fair Oscars After Party. Crafted in polished white gold, the piece features an elegant arrangement of pear, emerald, and round brilliant-cut diamonds, set in descending rows that taper into a refined fringe-like drape along the neckline.
Crafted over nearly 150 hours of meticulous handwork, the necklace reflects the extraordinary cutting and polishing expertise of Surat, the diamond city, that has shaped the global language of diamond craftsmanship for generations. Using a sophisticated open-setting technique, the diamonds are held within airy frameworks that allow light to enter from every angle, heightening their brilliance and creating a living play of light.
In the spirit of Swadesh, these creations honour India’s rich artisanal legacy—celebrating the inherited mastery of craftspeople who transform precious materials into enduring works of art.
Isha Ambani’s prominent role at Swadesh exemplifies the Ambani family’s dedication to elevating Indian artisanal crafts on the global stage through Reliance Retail’s luxury platform.
