Cannes Film Festival is a truly international event keenly watched for its fashion impact
The Cannes Film Festival will be from 8th to 19th May this year. This festival held in Cannes, France, is an annual international film festival celebrating film and culture from all around the world. The ultimate expression of glamour is the walk on the red carpet in the festival.
The difference between Oscar and Cannes red carpets is that Oscar is too exclusive and only for one evening. Cannes’ red carpet goes on throughout the festival. Talented men and women from all over the world pose on the red carpet in Cannes, making it a true festival of the world.
In the new millennium, the status of India as a soft power was affirmed when in 2002 Aishwarya Rai walked on the much coveted red carpet of Cannes Film Festival, representing the film Devdas.
Since then, Indian films are being featured in competitive and non-competitive categories on a regular basis. Aishwarya is a regular fixture on the Cannes red carpet since 2002. More and more Indians have been joining her. This year along with Aishwarya, many other Bollywood beauties such as Sonam, Deepika, Kangana, Huma are expected to appear on the red carpet.
But the whole story started in 2002. Let’s see the significant Indian red carpet appearances since 2002.
Related reading: Bollywood couples who are giving us major #FashionGoals
Year: 2002
Who: Aishwarya Rai attended the premiere of Devdas accompanied by the director Bhansali and co-actor Shahrukh.
Wearing what: A traditional saree by Neeta Lulla with what can be only described as tons of gold.
Hit or Miss: Although people sat up and took notice of her, her look was criticised for being too garish.
Year: 2003
Who: Aishwarya Rai attended the festival as a jury member, the first by an Indian actor.
Wearing what: A neon green saree and a pink ghaghra choli by Neeta Lulla
Hit or Miss: Both the outfits were misses for their absurd non-flattering looks
Year: 2004
Who: Aishwarya Rai for the first time attended the festival as the brand ambassador of L’Óreal
Wearing what: Shimmering revealing gown by Neeta Lulla
Hit or Miss: The gown was ill-fitted to put it mildly
Year: 2005
Who: Aishwarya Rai opened the festival
Wearing what: A flirty flowery Armani gown and a daring Gucci black gown
Hit or Miss: Both dresses were big hits
Extra: Another Indian Mallika Sherawat too started appearing in Cannes since this year, but her appearances never created much ripples in media.
Year: 2006
Who: Aishwarya Rai attended the screening of her film “Provoked”.
Wearing what: Strapless blue and black Roberto Cavalli gowns
Hit or Miss: The gowns were hits, but most eye catching was her snake choker
Extra: Preity Zinta attended the festival representing a watch brand but her appearances never grabbed the headlines
Year: 2007
Who: Aishwarya Rai attended screenings of Guru and teaser of Jodha Akbar
Wearing what: White strapless Giorgio Armani gown
Hit or Miss: The dress was appreciated, so was her thick diamond necklace, but the most eye catching was her arm candy the fresh new husband Abhishek
Related reading: Here’s what Abhishek Bachchan has to say about supermom Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Year: 2008
Who: Aishwarya Rai attended with her husband and in-laws
Wearing what: Golden Armani, black and bright fuchsia Cavalli gowns
Hit or Miss: Hit
Year: 2009
Who: Aishwarya Rai
Wearing what: floor-sweeping Roberto Cavalli strapless white gown and a grey Elie Saab one-shoulder gown
Hit or Miss: Hit
Year: 2010
Who: Aishwarya Rai
Wearing what: A gold Sabyasachi saree with an emerald green blouse, violet mermaid gown with a train and sheer shoulders and a black strapless Armani Prive gown
Hit or Miss: Her saree look was not appreciated much, but the gowns were hits
Extra: Deepika had a low profile debut.
Year: 2011
Who: Aishwarya Rai
Wearing what: An Elie Saab one shoulder embroidered gown and a geometric Armani Prive dress
Hit or Miss: Hit
Who: Sonam Kapoor became another A lister in Cannes as the brand ambassador of L’Óreal.
Wearing what: She debuted with a Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown and then wore a Roberto Cavalli dress and The Row white gown.
Hit or Miss: Mostly hit, but her debut gown made meme makers work overtime.
Year: 2012
Who: Aishwarya Rai
Wearing what: Grey Elie Saab gown, an Angelo Katsapis maxidress, a cream chikankari Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla sari with an embroidered jacket, Roberto Cavalli kaftan
Hit or Miss: The choice of outfits of the new mom Aishwarya was generally not appreciated except the Elie Saab gown which flattered her post pregnancy figure.
Who: Sonam Kapoor
Wearing what: Masaba Gupta polka dot sari worn with a full-sleeve shirt inspired blouse, velvet Dolce & Gabbana dress and Alexander McQueen gown
Hit or Miss: She was noticed for her quirky choices
Year: 2013
Who: Aishwarya Rai
Wearing what: One-shoulder teal Gucci gown, a black and grey Elie Saab couture gown and an Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla floor-length Anarkali with colourful heavy embroidery, sarees by Sabyasachi and Tarun Tahliani. For interviews she wore perfectly fitted trousers, shirt, waistcoat and white shirt and black mermaid like skirt
Hit or Miss: Her traditional wear disappointed the critics, but she got big thumbs up for her interview outfits.
Who: Sonam Kapoor
Wearing what: A red Elie Saab couture dress, a traditional lace sari by Anamika Khanna with a long embroidered jacket, black and white net Shehla Khan lehenga and a floral print Dolce & Gabbana dress
Hit or Miss: She stuck to safe choices this year
Who: Vidya Balan appeared as a jury member.
Wearing what: Maroon lehenga and full-sleeved choli, sea green organza sari, white-gold sari and few other traditional outfits designed by Sabyasachi.
Hit or Miss: The dresses could not impress anyone.
Related reading: Vidya Balan: Shutting down the body shaming
Year: 2014
Who: Aishwarya Rai
Wearing what: Strapless gold gown and dazzling embellished white gown with trains designed by Roberto Cavalli
Hit or Miss: One of her best looks
Who: Sonam Kapoor
Wearing what: Elie Saab couture gown, dainty blue Elie Saab couture and a pale pink net sari by Anamika Khanna.
Hit or Miss: Hit
Year: 2015
Who: Aishwarya Rai
Wearing what: Her most liked outfits were an emerald green Elie Saab, a strapless Ralph & Russo couture gown in monochromes and a maroon strapless Oscar de la Renta gown
Hit or Miss: A veteran now in rocking the red carpet look
Who: Sonam Kapoor
Wearing what: a lime green frou frou Elie Saab gown, a cobalt-blue Ralph and Russo ballgown
Hit or Miss: The daring frou frou failed, with people comparing it to chicken feathers
Year: 2016
Who: Aishwarya Rai
Wearing what: Rami Kadi floral gown with daring purple lips, a heavily embellished, floor-sweeping, golden-brown coloured bandhgala jacket by Rohit Bal, pink-gold Elie Saab gown, red ruffled gown by Naeem Khan and golden Ali Younes Couture gown.
Hit or Miss: The show stealer was the purple lipstick, showing the world she can take huge risks.
Who: Sonam Kapoor
Wearing what: Ralph & Russo designed her three outfits. First one with a floral cape, another with a chic black with a linear pattern and the third one was a saree-inspired dress.
Hit or Miss: The huge saree inspired dress was show stealer.
Year: 2017
Who: Aishwarya Rai
Wearing what: a floral Georges Hobeika gown, one shoulder blush pink Monisha Jaising gown with hand-crafted embellishments, flared gota tukdi sherwani by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, blue floor sweeping ball room gown by Filipino designer Michael Cinco
Hit or Miss: Her look was generally appreciated. The huge size of the ballroom gown blew everyone’s mind and made meme makers happy.
Who: Sonam Kapoor
Wearing what: a structured, one-shoulder outfit in soft mint green by Masaba Gupta, light pink Elie Saab floral motif gown, a golden Elie Saab dress.
Hit or Miss: Okay
Who: Deepika Padukone joined the party for the first time representing L’Óreal.
Wearing what: a deep green Brandon Maxwell gown with a long train and a plum-hued dress by label Marchesa.
Hit or Miss: Hit
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Aishwarya will always be the muse! She does not dress up, she owns the look! <3
And, I have come to admire Sonam for taking calculated risks when it comes to her fashion game and she is not afraid to try new things! She leaves a mark!
She is the Queen bee