As invitees, attendees and brand ambassadors sashay down the red carpet at La Croisette, there is no other fashion moment that India eagerly awaits quite as much as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s annual appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. This year, Aishwarya made her first appearance towards the end of the 79th edition of the film festival. She stepped out on the red carpet in an electric blue, sparkly Amit Aggarwal gown, making heads turn. She followed this up with two more appearances, in a white Cheney Chan tuxedo with a dramatic, feather boa and a delicate, blush Sophie Couture gown worn with a long, sheer cape. She also donned a pale pink strapless Fjolla Nila gown, with a feather boa for an evening at the film festival.
Mohit Rai
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
At the helm of Aishwarya’s wardrobe this year was stylist Mohit Rai, and this collaboration marked his styling debut on the Cannes Red carpet. “Aishwarya is extremely collaborative. Every detail is discussed with her and she is always open to discuss further, down the very T; to ensure that the final look is seamless,” he says, of working with the star.Aishwarya has had a long, and storied history at the Cannes Film Festival. She first made her debut on the red carpet there in 2002 for her film Devdas which premiered at the festival. Since then, the actor has been a red carpet fixture at the festival for over 20 years as a L’oreal Paris brand ambassador. Her fashion moments over the years have elicited awe, like the golden, mermaid-cut Roberto Cavalli gown from 2014, or sparked fierce internet debate. Remember the controversial purple lipstick from 2016? For every sleek Gucci or Elie Saab gown, there has been the dramatic, fringe gown in silver and blue in 2024 or the silver hooded gown from 2023 which was much discussed.While her looks this year were collectively welcomed as a breath of fresh air, amidst mounting criticism about the sheer number of influencers and attendees from India with seemingly no connection to films taking over the red carpet, the online chatter hasn’t been free of comments about her age and body that reek of misogyny and sexism. For many fans of the Aishwarya and fashion enthusiasts who have followed her Cannes appearances over the years, this year felt like a welcome harbinger of change. Not only did she experiment with silhouettes instead of playing it safe with overwhelming, voluminous gowns, but her hair and make-up also marked a refreshing change. Neutral and pink lipsticks replaced her signature reds and berry-toned shades, while she traded her straight, centre-parted hair for softer, more voluminous waves that perfectly complemented her looks.
