Who did it better at Cannes: Aishwarya or Deepika?
The 75th Cannes Film Festival is wrapping up today, 28 May, after starting on 17 May. But Cannes is not your regular award show! There's a proper fashion element to it, and many of us wait throughout the year just to see what the celebrities are going to wear to walk the red carpet. There have been many head-turners in this year's Cannes, but let's focus on my two favourites from Bollywood and their Cannes looks this summer: the gorgeous Deepika Padukone and the queen bee Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Aishwarya Rai
The B-town queen and 1994 Miss World Aishwarya Rai has been an inspiration in our teens. We grew up watching her be the Paro or the Jodha. She has been known for her beauty worldwide and I personally think she is drop-dead gorgeous. Sadly, she was highly criticised in social media for her choice of outfits at the 75th Cannes Film Festival.
On day one, she chose Pierpaolo Piccioli, the famous Italian designer and the creative head of Valentino for her entire look from head to toe. While bright pink is definitely a mainstay this season, but that pink pantsuit really did not compliment her beauty. Oversized suits are always trending but something went really wrong with her look! Her stylist Aastha Sharma had such a beautiful canvas to work on and all I could see was her matching pink platform shoes. I mean that would obviously look great with something subtle! If Sharma had to pick only Valentino, why not their famous nude rock studs? I would just grab a red high heel strappy sandals from Christian Louboutin. You can never go wrong with his footwear. The colour red and pink are an amazing fashion statement, as evidenced by Beyonce.
Aishwarya's make-up and hair were done by artists Stephane Lancien and Val Garland. Many people hated her makeup, but honestly, we all go through bad makeup days, and it was mostly the poor outfit and shoe which made her look so dull. Her hair looked slick but the middle parting does not go with her face. If you have a big face, avoid middle partings.
Did you know that there are limited edition Barbie dolls of Aishwarya Rai? Sadly though, Rai herself was not dolled up enough, even when her stylist picked a black floral Dolce & Gabana for her second look. If I had to dress her up with only Dolce & Gabana, I would have decided between their 2022 chiffon or lace long dresses. Black is too powerful and best reserved for night events. The outfit might have worked if the flowers were on a white dress.
On the third day, Rai wore a custom-made gown from an Indian designer, Gaurav Gupta. His work was inspired by the birth of Venus — as mentioned on his Instagram posts. This look was co-styled by Sharma and Mohit Rai. Mohit has done some amazing fashion direction and hence, this look has saved the day for Aishwarya. There was also a good dewy makeup on the gorgeous Aishwarya. The hair was on point too.
Deepika Padukone
Oh, lady you are so fine, you blow my mind!
The Gehraiyaan actress has come a long way in terms of acting, looks, and rocking the red carpets with her beautiful smile. Padukone made her first debut in a white and gold Rohit Bal sari 10 years ago. That classic sari look did not impress anyone. This Cannes Film Festival, she walked as a jury for the first time and yes, she did not miss a single chance to shine.
She rocked many outfits this time, so let's start with my favourite — ArdAzAei's black pantsuit. Peplum style was something new for this season but it really did not miss the 2022 touch. Props to her stylist, Shaleena Nathani.
The Cartier diamond studded neck piece was mesmerising, embellished with emeralds on the panther's eyes. Her most talked-about look was when she wore Sabyasachi Mukherjee for her first day as a jury member. The 36-year-old actress flaunted that look like a rockstar, with Louboutin spike platform heels. Although the bridal jewellery was a little much for a day look, but it still worked. Her make-up artist kept the nude glam on point.
I believe you can never go wrong with Sabyasachi's sari and when Deepika wore it, it was perfection. The strapless sequence blouse was made to perfection, and her eye makeup was quite daring too.
My personal favourite was her French look, where you see her carry those retro outfits by Louis Vuitton. She looked outstanding in that black and white printed shirt and the bright pink skirt. You also shouldn't miss her fun attire in the LV zipper beige jacket. I have absolutely loved the knee length boots. I adore monochrome looks, but when Deepika wore the Richard Quinn's floral dress with those floral boots, it only reminded me of her husband, Ranveer Singh. Her LV black dress was nice, but whenever I see any celebrity in black designer outfits, I compare them with Elizabeth Hurley's black Versace dress, which she wore for the premiere of 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' in 1994. That was a masterpiece. Lastly, I would like to mention her orange body con corset long dress, which is designed by a Saudi Arabian designer from Ashi Studio.
Photo: Collected