Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s 15th outing at cannes in a golden gown evokes much applause, and a few frowns
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s 15th outing at cannes in a golden gown evokes much applause, and a few frowns
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan seems to be in the mood for some celebration. And why not She sashayed down the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival for the fifteenth year in a row on May 13, resplendent in a golden sequin-studded champagne gown by Ali Younes paired with a delicate golden belt and a matching floor length cape. A dash of dark blue and turquoise on her eyes coupled with middle-parted hair styled in loose waves finished the look. While the attire and styling made for quite a talking point in international fashion circles, evoking mixed reactions, there was another talking point that has quickly become a burning subject of speculation: a possible baby bump.
For celebrity stylist Rishi Raj, Ash’s look was a major disappointment. Asserting the importance of taking a second look before you step out, Rishi quotes Coco Chanel. “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off. Elegance does not consist of putting on a new dress. A dress should enhance and hold on to your body as if it’s your second skin. The cut and the silhouette didn’t enhance Ash’s body or her ‘bump’. I am not saying she looked ugly, but I think there is a possibility that the Ali Younes outfit was a last minute change. But kudos to her she carried it off anyway,” he says and adds, “I also feel the makeup and outfit didn’t belong together. Maybe she did pick out something else but something went wrong last minute. At the end of the day, fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions. And this outfit didn’t do justice to her, her beauty or her body.”
Designer Rahul Mishra agrees and, while neutral about her choice of attire as something to be expected on a red carpet and therefore fairly safe, points out that with better customisation, it might have really worked. “I personally feel that for someone as beautiful as her, the outfit should not only complement but enhance the beauty she already possesses. And here, the outfit doesn’t do much for her personality. I thought she could have experimented a bit more — some of her previous Cannes appearances have been much better.
I’m not even referring just to the choice of colour. Also, I don’t know how last minute this was, but I felt that some more preparation could have been made. A dress like this custom-made for her a bit better, would have worked better,” he opines.
On the other hand, Ash’s radiant beauty and style choice are getting the thumbs up from designers such as Poonam Bhagat and Urvashi Kaur. Bhagat affirms, “She looked ethereal, ephemeral and fairytale like in the embellished Ali Younes Couture gown. I loved the delicate shimmer on the blush canvas. Her belly could have been a little more controlled, however. I think a better fitted gown would have solved the issue and helped her steer clear of speculation too. The overall look was glamorous and elegant and the minimalistic makeup with blue eye shadow and nearly nude lips added an edgy element to it, along with the beautiful middle-parted cascading hairdo.”
Urvashi, on her part, states that there were no surprises and the attire was safe and typical to Ash’s style, and bordering on the boring. She says, “I can’t fault her as she is quite a pro when it comes to being at the red carpet at Cannes. She looked comfortable in her skin and glamorous. Her hair was very on point and I give her kudos for the experimental makeup — I quite loved the blue colour. She’s a radiant beauty anyway, but it would be great to see her push the boundaries a little.”
