Aishwarya Rai's iconic yellow saree, designed by Neeta Lulla for her 2002 Cannes debut, continues to impress 24 years later. The designer shares its story. Aishwarya Rai is the undisputed queen of the Cannes Film Festival. While the internet is abuzz with her beautiful looks from this year, one cannot deny the hold her debut saree still has. The Cannes regular made her historic debut in May 2002 for the world premiere of her blockbuster film, Devdas.Aishwarya Rai made her Cannes debut in 2002.Also Read | Aishwarya Rai wins Cannes with another gorgeous look in blush pink gown: 'Her stylist finally understood the assignment'Aishwarya had famously arrived at the red carpet in a traditional horse-drawn carriage alongside her Devdas co-star Shah Rukh Khan and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She wore a now-legendary vibrant yellow-gold saree designed by Neeta Lulla, paired with heavy traditional gold jewellery.The iconic Cannes saree that started it allOn May 16, before Aishwarya Rai's arrival at Cannes this year, Neeta Lulla shared a video about the saree, reminiscing about the details that went into its creation and how the draper remains iconic after 24 years.Sharing the video, Neeta Lulla wrote, “Designed in 2002, still breaking the internet in 2026. I designed a canary-yellow saree for Aishwarya Rai at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of ‘Devdas’, and years later, it’s still making headlines. From the red carpet to becoming one of the most iconic Cannes fashion moments, the look continues to live on, with even Alia Bhatt calling it one of her favourite Cannes looks. Timeless fashion always finds its way back into the conversation.”The story behind itAccording to the designer, it was the first time an actor or a production house had worn a saree to the Cannes Film Festival. She had created the drape after Sanjay Leela Bhansali asked her to design one for Aishwarya, who played Paro in Devdas. He had demanded that her Cannes outfit exude Paro, something that did not look western but still had an Indian ethos.So, Neeta took inspiration from the fabrics she had used in Devdas, namely Dhakai net. The saree, however, was a Banarasi net that felt like Dhakai cotton. “I used canary yellow as my colour of choice with embroidery in antique zardozi on it, just at the borders, to team it with a beautiful gold choker and earrings. This saree was made in Banarasi net with little buttis and gold dots,” she shared.And the impact of the saree, with its ornate borders and the sheer grandeur of the canary yellow colour, has lasted 24 years. Sharing the effect it had on her, Neeta said, “Even then, I looked at it and felt, my god, what did this colour do to the saree and how did the impact of embroidery come about on something so simple.”In the end, calling the experience of designing the saree and dressing Aishwarya magical, she shared, “The impact that the saree had got me thinking how it was possible for antique gold to look so magnanimous on a canary yellow. But yes, it was magical.”Krishna Priya Pallavi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience, covering health, fashion, pop culture, travel, wellness, entertainment, festivals, mental health, art, decor, fitness, and sex and relationships. She is an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, and holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. Her strong academic foundation informs her analytical and detail-oriented approach to storytelling, helping her uncover stories where none seem to exist.