By the time the Vanity Fair Oscar Party begins, Hollywood has already survived a long evening of red carpets, speeches, and carefully engineered glamour. The ceremony may be over, but the night’s most photographed gathering is just getting started.
This year, a particularly thoughtful detail awaits a small group of guests. Around 150 attendees at the party will receive an exclusive hand-embroidered pashmina shawl from Swadesh, the craft-focused brand founded by Nita Ambani.
The moment feels well-timed. Indian design and craft are increasingly being recognised on the global fashion stage—from the India-inspired spectacle of the Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2026 menswear show led by Pharrell Williams to the conversation around influence and appropriation sparked when Prada presented sandals resembling traditional Kolhapuri chappals. At the same time, the pashmina shawl itself has been making its way back to the fashion circuit, thanks to the likes of Ashley Olsen and Kendall Jenner, who have given the classic wrap a contemporary spin.
The shawls themselves represent one of Kashmir’s most refined textile traditions. Made from fine pashmina sourced in the Himalayan region, the fibre is prized for its remarkable softness and warmth. The word ‘pashmina’ comes from a Persian term meaning ‘soft gold’, a fitting description for a material long associated with luxury and heritage.
Each Swadesh shawl is embroidered using the intricate sozni technique, one of Kashmir’s most delicate needlework traditions. Skilled artisans build the designs stitch by stitch using extremely fine thread, sometimes placing hundreds of tiny stitches within a single centimetre. The motifs draw inspiration from Kashmir’s landscape. Flowers, curling vines, and paisleys echo the valley’s gardens and foliage, translating its natural beauty into embroidery so precise it almost melts into the fabric.
On a night built around sparkle and spectacle, the most interesting keepsake might be the quietest one—a Kashmiri pashmina that brings centuries of Indian craftsmanship onto the Oscars circuit.
