Over the weekend, A-listers from far and wide all flocked to Mumbai to celebrate the grand opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. Stars including Gigi Hadid, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, all lit up the red carpet wearing elaborately embroidered works.
The new state-of-the-art, world-class venue is the first of its kind in the region to foster the arts in India. The evening began with cocktails before Feroz Abbas Khan’s remarkable production of The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation took the stage in The Grand Theater.
The theater has been dubbed the “star attraction” of the new cultural center, featuring a whopping 2,000 seats, a high-tech sound system and a ceiling-mounted light sculpture crafted from over 8,400 Swarovski crystals.
Hadid arrived in an intricately hand-embroidered “Himachal” double-breasted trench, featuring a petal pink skyline design with a colorful landscape and flowers on the bottom, by designer Rahul Mishra and styled by Elizabeth Sulcer. The supermodel teamed her statement-making trench with coordinating trousers and a matching bralette. According to the brand, “The look aims to articulate a fantastical rendition of Rahul’s first-hand experience of a Himalayan spring. The dream finally emerges on the surface through elements that are meticulously imagined in threads, beads, sequins and other media. The embroidery on the full ensemble is realized over 2,400 human hours of time.”
On Saturday, the second day of the opening, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre hosted a pink carpet event to unveil its “India in Fashion” exhibit within the Art House venue. Curated by Hamish Bowles, the immersive display showcased clothing that exemplifies the fine craftsmanship India is internationally known for. The event took place ahead of the center’s launch event on April 3 for the forthcoming Rizzoli book, edited by Bowles titled, India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination.
Zendaya arrived with two of her closest guys: longtime beau Tom Holland and her right-hand-man and image architect Law Roach.
Zendaya chose a hand embroidered asymmetrical navy blue “Verdure” saree gown by Rahul Mishra’s atelier with a golden leaf-embellished “Flying Cranes” bralette. With her skirt resembling the night sky, the train’s trim was emblazoned with flowers and even a tiger and other animals throughout the greenery. The star chose a gold Bulgari Serpenti High Jewelry bracelet and Bulgari earrings set in yellow and white gold, marquise cut diamonds, round and pear cut emeralds and pavé-set diamonds for the evening.
Roach adorned a black hand embordered “Shirley Poppy” sherwani floor-length jacket embellished with orange and peach florals, featuring a coordinating lehenga skirt in the back, also by Rahul Mishra.
Priyanka Chopra was also in attendance with her husband Nick Jonas. The Indian actress wore a custom Amit Aggarwal creation, featuring a metallic beaded bandeau strapless bust, with an immaculately draped colorful jewel-toned printed skirt with a thigh-high slit.
According to the brand, the gown was “crafted by pairing a 60-year-old vintage Banarasi brocade saree made using silver threads and a gold electroplating on khadi silk.” The star amped up the glamor with a white gold Bulgari Serpenti High Jewelry necklace set with two pear brilliant cut emeralds and pavé-set diamonds as well as a Bulgari Serpenti High Jewellery bracelet and ring.
Hadid stepped out for the second evening wearing a Kamasutra-inspired golden custom couture ensemble by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. The model adorned a beaded gold cropped sleeve jacket blouse edged with bold tassels, teamed with an ivory a slim chikankari skirt and chikan sari drape with stacked gold bracelets on each arm.
Supermodel Karlie Kloss, acclaimed actress Penélope Cruz, social media star Emma Chamberlain and designer Prabal Gurung also showed up and showed out for the occasion.
Following the fashionable event, the cultural center hosted a Bollywood night afterparty, with stars from Shahrukh Khan to Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh arriving for the epic closer. While the opening extravaganza may be over, the impact of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre is only just beginning in India.
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