Sheer magic

As the 88th Annual Academy Awards reached us live early yesterday morning, they ushered in a moment of pride for India as Priyanka Chopra stood alongside Liev Schreiber to present the Oscar for Best Editing. Even before her moment on stage, however, the world was already abuzz with reactions to her style statement. Attired in a stunning white gown by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad, the actress made quite an impression with a silver belt, bling rings and sultry bare shoulders. So, how do the capital’s design and style moghuls feel PeeCee fared in her Oscars red carpet debut

Designer Urvashi Kaur feels that while the actress has gone for a chic and classy look, she has nevertheless chosen to stay within safe waters — a sign that she is still in the process of discovering her own individual sense of style. “First of all, it is amazing that this is happening at all. Priyanka has really put India on the map and is the right package of talent and glamour to represent us there. It’s nice to see her do something different with her hair by putting it back like that. I like how it frames her face. Her shoulders look beautiful too and I love the dress. She has the body to carry off the sheer beautifully. I love the belt for how it accentuates and modernises the entire look. I did, however, find myself looking for something that would define her personal sense of style. Maybe I would have taken her hair a little flatter and made the centre parting more obvious but she’s taking small steps towards finding who she is on the red carpet, and that’s really good to see. She is still discovering herself. This is a very good start. Murad is great with his red carpet looks and I’m happy with her choice. She’s trying to make the right choices to make the right impression, which is really great. Her style statement in India comes from a different dynamic, but she’s done a good job within an international space too,” she affirms and adds that she particularly appreciates the bare shoulders.

She says, “I’m very happy with her shoulders because she’s wearing earrings, rings, belt and has a clutch too, more on her neck would be too much. I’m totally against over-accessorisation. Less is more. She could have gone for some colour, sure, but even her pre-party look was a grey, metallic chic. I’m also not very fond of multiple rings and busy hands that way but other than that I can see that she’s making the right kind of noise,” she says.

Stylist Rishi Raj, on the other hand, is all praises for the dusky star. He avers, “Priyanka has done a fantastic job in that dress. She is looking powerful, confident, sexy and comfortable. In fact, being comfortable in one’s skin is the biggest accessory that one can wear. She has taken the risqué route by not wearing something traditional or desi, and is proudly and boldly displaying her curvy figure in that gown. It is an ideal red carpet outfit where nothing is overdone. It is a bold attempt and a befitting response to all those body shamers in our country. Also, minimal accessorising works for her, given her body type and frame. Thankfully, she has hasn’t gone the Mallika Sherawat way and picked up some sleazy outfit from a cheap store!”

Designer Poonam Bhagat, however, is fairly disappointed with PeeCee’s Oscars look. She argues, “Personally, I didn’t like the look and think that Priyanka has the capability of looking much better. There is something about what she’s wearing that is just not working for her at all. The gown looks too tight because of which her breasts are bulging out, and her shoulders and arms are looking very masculine. On its own, the gown is quite elegant and would look good on someone with a more delicate bone structure and shoulder blades, like Cate Blanchett or Nicole Kidman. As far as Priyanka goes, even the hair and make-up is not the right match for it. I also feel that she is wearing too many rings and that she should have worn a choker necklace instead, with no earrings, to hide the creases on her neck. Her hair should have been wispy instead of the ponytail too.”