At Grammys 2026, Ricky Kej made a strong case for Indian craftsmanship in achkan and dhoti

If you think India had no one to show up for it at the 2026 Grammy Awards, you're mistaken. The three-time Grammy winner and four-time nominee, Indian music composer Ricky Kej, attended the popular music awards and made a striking appearance, putting India’s craftsmanship on the global stage.

Making the Indian community proud, he lit up the glittering affair, setting new fashion benchmarks and standing tall, making his Grammy appearance stylish and meaningful. His whole look was an ode to Indian culture, which he chose to celebrate with sustainability; he wore a black achkan featuring a beautifully hand-embroidered Asiatic lion.

Things went to another level when he teamed this beautiful outfit with a pair of traditional golden dhoti. The lion motif is a powerful symbol in the Indian heritage and conservation success; the population of this rare breed crossed 890. It is also represented in India’s national emblem.

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Ricky completed this look with handmade earrings gifted to him by a Banjara woman in Rajasthan. He also wore a pair of anklets and subtle wrist bracelets, which are in collaboration with a homegrown brand launching soon.

If you think this piece of ensemble is just another clothing pick, you're mistaken; it can be called a fine example of environmental sustainability and is included in his #ReWear4Earth initiative. The Padma Shree awardee also shared his plans to wear this same ensemble at multiple events and emphasised the fact that fashion can be innovative and fun when experimented with.

Sharing a series of pictures from the event on his social media, he wrote, “Ready for the Grammy Awards :-), my 11th year attending. Great to attend as a 3-time winner and 4-time nominee :-).”

He continued, “I chose to reflect my heritage and purpose. I wore a black achkan featuring an intricately hand-embroidered Asiatic lion, paired with a traditional gold dhoti. The lion is a powerful symbol of Indian heritage and conservation success, with its population crossing 890 in 2025 and represented in India’s national emblem.”

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Ricky further stated, “I wore jewellery created with Priyanka Desai of De’Anma, inspired by handmade earrings gifted to me by a Banjara woman in Rajasthan. This collaboration has now grown into a jewellery line... earrings, an anklet, and a wrist bracelet, which we will be launching soon.”


Pointing out fashion sustainability, he wrote, “Through my commitment towards environmental sustainability and #ReWear4Earth, I will be wearing this outfit for multiple events because fashion can be fashionable more than once, and the most expensive clothes that we buy are the ones we wear only once. The costume I wore last year, I also wore at numerous other events and concerts all over the world.”