6 Sustainable Fashion Moments From Anant And Radhika's Wedding

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding ceremonies have taken the world by storm. Along with the grandeur of the rituals and ceremonies that have been taking place over the past few months, the fashion and style that we witnessed during the events leading up to the actual wedding have been nothing short of iconic. But besides the usual glamour of people donning designer wear, there were a few refreshing sustainable fashion moments where the guests as well as the members of the Ambani family decided to make conscious decisions regarding their outfits.

We've collectively come to realise the disturbing impact of over-consumption on the climate; Especially how it is facilitated through the fashion industry. What started out as a no-plastic mentality, decades ago has slowly turned into a massive realisation that we've to do a lot more than just ditch plastics and be mindful of our buying choices.

The term 'sustainable- fashion' first emerged in the 90s and has since shifted from being a fringe, almost conspiracy-theory-like concern to a pressing matter. In 2018, diverse stakeholders in the fashion industry were invited to be aligned with the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and move towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

This has led to luxury fashion houses such as Stella McCartney, Chanel, and Prada using alternative, cruelty-free materials and eco-responsible tweeds for their products. Labels and public figures have started a discourse around repeating outfits and decreasing our carbon footprint. But the conversation surrounding the fashion industry's role in climate change has reached an elevated scale altogether. Simply sticking to emission guidelines and what looks good on paper is no longer a solution. It's the bare minimum, in fact (considering the conditions we're living in).

Recently, we witnessed a subtle (yet much-needed) shift in what sustainable fashion truly means. This year's Met Gala saw a host of A-list celebrities wear archival pieces to the event. Not only did this mean that the guests were wearing dresses from older collections, but materials were repurposed, and pre-worn gowns were carried with flare. One may say that this was bound to happen because of the theme of the Met this year. But, not quite; British singer Charlie XCX wore an all-white upcycled dress.

Designed by Marni's Francesco Risso which was a creative patchwork ensemble made entirely from old vintage white t-shirts. Similarly, Demi Moore wore a Harris Reed gown which was upcycled from a vintage archival wallpaper. This time around, there was clearly a different tone to the fashion we saw at The Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition. Though the theme pointed towards reawakening fashion, by wearing repurposed attire celebrities & stylists took the extra step to make a more conscious choice.

Even if we take a closer look, streetwear labels in India are becoming increasingly centred around using cruelty-free materials. Not to mention that thrifting has become huge in the past few years, which has added to the pre-existing second-hand culture most of us have grown up amidst. Premium homegrown labels have made using sustainable and organic textiles such as cotton, silk and wool a priority.

"There are people who are moving towards conscious choices regarding fashion, whether it's for occasion-wear, weddings or festive-wear. People are picking pieces that can be worn over a period of time. Many consumers are now making the decision to only invest in pieces that can be worn for more than one event. And we have been particular about our designs not being limited to one-time-wear," says Shilpi Yadav, founder of Gurgaon-based artisanal label Khara Kapas.

She also goes on to explain how her label has created cotton and chanderi-based occasion wear. "Khara Kapashas been making festive wear, and wedding trousseau in cotton and sustainable fabrics since 2015. We have a decent amount of clients (overseas and in India) who believe in wearing pieces that can be worn for years. Pieces which are easy to wear, which are comfortable, which can be passed down to the next generation, which aren't weather-dependent. These could be classic designs which never go out of fashion, and can be paired and worn intelligently."

It seems Shilpi's insight about consumers looking for outfits they can repeat can also be found at different moments during the Ambani wedding. Though few and sparse, these are worth taking note of as a reference for the future.

Just as the Met Gala guests chose archival pieces and gave us a glimpse into the significance of reviving and repurposing vintage. Radhika Merchant choosing to wear a Couture Cocktail dress from Christian Dior's Autumn Winter 1959 Haute Couture collection in Portofino for the pre-wedding celebrations may have sent out a similar message to the world. Not only this, but Isha Ambani's jadau blouse which was encrusted in heirloom jewels during the festivities at Jamnagar was a fabulous repurposing moment for the jewellery. In this wedding we've seen everything from designer custom-made, archival and heirloom jewellery to handicraft textiles at the events.

Aside from this, we've curated some of the looks where the Ambani family and their guests have made considerable sustainable choices.

It just goes to show that sustainability is not only a fervour of the present but a future we're growing into. Read on:

Sustainable Fashion Moments From Anant Ambani & Radhika’s Wedding…

Isha Ambani's Abu Jani And Sandeep Khosla Blouse

How can we even forget this heavily encrusted Abu Jani And Sandeep Khosla blouse that Isha Ambani wore during the pre-wedding festivities? The blouse was embellished with Isha’s Jadau Jewellery, which consisted of rubies and diamonds. Stunning right?

Shloka Mehta's Abu Jani And Sandeep Khosla Lehnga

Shloka Mehta decided to re-wear her own bridal Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla lehenga for the wedding of brother-in-law Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. This time around though, her stylist decided to switch things up by replacing her red dupatta with a pink one and also making her make-up pink-toned.

Vidya Balan's Re-Ceremonial Lehnga

For Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s Shubh Ashirwad function, Vidya Balan was seen wearing this pretty, yellow lehenga that was allegedly dyed using marigolds from Siddhi Vinayak temple. Definitely an eco-friendly and sustainable choice!

Suhana Khan's Manish Malhotra Saree

Suhana Khan gracefully and proudly re-wore the sequined Manish Malhotra number that she wore at the designer’s Diwali Bash in 2022 for Anant and Radhika’s wedding at the Jio Convention Center.

Isha Ambani's Emerald Choker

Isha Ambani has had several moments of sheer brilliance and boldness in terms of all the attire she has worn throughout Radhika Merchant and brother Anant Ambani’s wedding. One of those was when she decided to re-wear this fabulous emerald choker and earrings with two different outfits during the sangeet ceremony.

Isha Ambani's Dior Gown

Another shining instance of when Isha chose a sustainable route is the custom couture Dior gown she wore for the day of Katy Perry’s concert at Radhika and Anant’s pre-wedding celebrations. For it is the same gown that she wore during her wedding celebrations.