Kim Kardashian commits fashion faux pas at Ambani Indian wedding

Kim Kardashian made a series of fashion faux pas at the Ambani wedding celebrations in Mumbai over the weekend.

With a quarter-billion pound budget, a guestlist to rival the Met Gala and a host of former world leaders dancing the night away, the Ambani wedding was arguably the biggest in the world.

It’s of no surprise then, that Kim, 43, was on the VIP guestlist, joining the likes of Boris and Carrie Johnson, Priyanka Chopra, and Nick Jonas, to celebrate the union of Anant and Radhika Ambani, both 29.

But unlike the other guests, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star appeared to neglect tradition when it came to her attire, despite opting for Indian-inspired outfits.

In a move that might considered inappropriate, Kim donned the bride’s colour of red – a blunder that is no different to a guest wearing white at a UK wedding – and sported a nose ring, called a nath, also traditionally reserved for the bride.

The TV personality was among the VIP guests as Anant Ambani, the son of India’s richest man, exchanged vows with pharmaceuticals heiress Radhika Merchant in a star-studded ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai.

Hindu priests conducted the ceremony, chanting ancient Sanskrit verses while the couple walked around a sacred fire. They also took seven vows to solemnise their marriage.

On Saturday, a traditional ‘divine blessings ceremony’ known as ‘The Shubh Aashirwad’ took place at the same venue that hosted the reception.

The dates for the ceremonies were chosen by a Hindu priest according to auspicious days on Anant and Radhika’s birth charts.

Given that the celebrations spanned multiple days, it’s no surprise that Kim planned a series of outfit changes. 

On Friday, the Skims founder revealed her first Bollywood-inspired outfit – a red lehenga – a traditional outfit made of an ankle-length skirt and top of choice.

‘I’m going to a wedding,’ Kim said in a video on her Instagram Stories. She also shared that the cameras for her TV show The Kardashians were with her.

Despite it being her first look of the event, Kim had already ticked off an etiquette error – wearing red.

In Hindu traditions, red is reserved for the bride, meaning guests should avoid the colour for fear of upsetting or overshadowing the bride.

Bride’s wear red as a sign of good luck for the future, prosperity, and to ward off evil spirits.

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Kim was not the only one, with the likes of Cherie Blair, the wife of the former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, also among those donning red to the wedding celebrations.

The 43-year-old’s lehenga top might also be considered unsuitable. While the tops do vary, and often embrace modernity, many choose to dress modestly when attending a Hindu ceremony.

It wasn’t the mother-of-four’s only red look either, with her choosing to wear a ruby red ensemble on Sunday evening.

The reality TV star rounded off her ensemble with emerald, green jewels from Lorraine Schwartz, among them rings, earrings, and an intricately designed headpiece.

While the Lorraine Schwartz pieces went without drama, Kim’s nose ring complementing her ivory sari on a different occasion was a controversial choice.

Kim took the Blessings Ceremony on Sunday in a traditional lehenga skirt adorned with intricate beaded detailing, while Khloe Kardashian stunned in a dramatic pink ensemble.

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As Kim and Khloe prepared to travel to the wedding’s ‘divine blessings’ ceremony, the sisters were hard to miss in their extravagant outfits.

This time, it wasn’t Kim’s outfit but her nose ring or nath, which is a statement nose jewel that connects to the ear or a hairpiece.

The traditional jewellery, which dates back centuries, is again a popular choice for Hindu brides on their wedding day because it symbolises a woman’s marriage status and fertility.

Elsewhere, Kim took to Instagram to share a post from India in a Skims bra over the weekend, with the caption: ‘Bless me’.

The addition of a red bindi on her forehead indicates that she had visited one of the religious ceremonies.

Once again, her attire could be considered disrespectful if worn in a religious setting, with attendees of religious events often choosing to cover their chest and shoulders.