How Mohit Rai styled Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for Cannes 2026

As invitees, attendees and marque ambassadors sashay down the reddish carpet astatine La Croisette, determination is nary different manner infinitesimal that India eagerly awaits rather arsenic overmuch arsenic Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s yearly quality astatine the Cannes Film Festival. 

This year, Aishwarya made her archetypal quality towards the extremity of the 79th variation of the movie festival. She stepped retired connected the reddish carpet successful an electrical blue, sparkly Amit Aggarwal gown, making heads turn. She followed this up with 2 much appearances, successful a achromatic Cheney Chan tuxedo with a dramatic, feather boa and a delicate, blush Sophie Couture gown worn with a long, sheer cape. She besides donned a airy pinkish strapless Fjolla Nila gown, with a feather boa for an evening astatine the movie festival.

At the helm of Aishwarya’s wardrobe this twelvemonth was stylist Mohit Rai, and this collaboration marked his styling debut connected the Cannes Red carpet. “Aishwarya is highly collaborative. Every item is discussed with her and she is ever unfastened to sermon further, down the precise T; to guarantee that the last look is seamless,” helium says, of moving with the star.

Aishwarya has had a long, and storied past astatine the Cannes Film Festival. She archetypal made her debut connected the reddish carpet determination successful 2002 for her movie Devdas which premiered astatine the festival. Since then, the histrion has been a reddish carpet fixture astatine the festival for implicit 20 years arsenic a L’oreal Paris marque ambassador. Her manner moments implicit the years person elicited awe, similar the golden, mermaid-cut Roberto Cavalli gown from 2014, oregon sparked fierce net debate. Remember the arguable purple lipstick from 2016? For each sleek Gucci oregon Elie Saab gown, determination has been the dramatic, fringe gown successful metallic and bluish successful 2024 oregon the metallic hooded gown from 2023 which was overmuch discussed.

While her looks this twelvemonth were collectively welcomed arsenic a enactment of caller air, amidst mounting disapproval astir the sheer fig of influencers and attendees from India with seemingly nary transportation to films taking implicit the reddish carpet, the online chatter hasn’t been escaped of comments astir her property and assemblage that reek of misogyny and sexism. 

For galore fans of the Aishwarya and manner enthusiasts who person followed her Cannes appearances implicit the years, this twelvemonth felt similar a invited harbinger of change. Not lone did she experimentation with silhouettes alternatively of playing it harmless with overwhelming, voluminous gowns, but her hairsbreadth and make-up besides marked a refreshing change. Neutral and pinkish lipsticks replaced her signature reds and berry-toned shades, portion she traded her straight, centre-parted hairsbreadth for softer, much voluminous waves that perfectly complemented her looks.

Mohit describes the tally up to the festival arsenic months of mood-boarding, ideation and conceptualisation. “All of it felt highly surreal. It lone deed maine erstwhile the apparel really started coming successful and we went successful for our archetypal fitting,” helium says. 

Designer choices

With 3D embellishments and embroidery, Amit Aggarwal’s fitted, fishtail gown, Luminara, that Aishwarya made a splash connected the reddish carpet in, took astir 1,500 hours to craft, The handwork went into crystalline linear embellishments crossed the gown, held unneurotic done an intricate lattice structure, creating an effect of illuminated pathways crossed the body.  

“The committedness to colour, craftsmanship and Indian artistry connected a planetary level is thing lone Aishwarya has made clip and again,” Mohit says, connected Aishwarya’s determination to spell with an Indian decorator for her archetypal look. Every portion of the bluish gown, helium adds, was constructed to respond to illumination, and to look antithetic nether antithetic lighting conditions. On the reddish carpet outdoors, and nether camera flashes, the gown sparkled. 

“The Sophie Couture gown had this underlying femininity done the choices of cloth and silhouette, each of it bringing successful truthful overmuch of feminine vigor successful the astir beauteous and brushed way. Cheney connected the different hand- was 1 whose proportions felt interesting. The cinched waist on with the shoulders felt bold successful a refreshing way, but brushed and subtle with the lace detailing and the feather shawl astir her,” Mohit explains. 

When asked if helium felt immoderate pressure, styling Aishwarya for the archetypal clip for her overmuch awaited yearly Cannes appearance, the stylist emphasises connected wanting each look to person a beardown constituent of view, and an individuality of its own. 

“It was each astir knowing that we were moving with an bonzer idiosyncratic astatine a level that is simply a pinnacle of cinema and fashion. Hence determination was truthful overmuch much that went into the ideation and conceptualisation to guarantee that the extremity effect reflected it.” helium adds.