It’s a universal truth that May is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s month. Every year, she arrives at the Cannes Film Festival, delivering showstopper moments. Over the years, she has built a reputation for embracing the unexpected, sidestepping predictable classics in favour of bold theatrical choices that divide opinion but always command attention. From conversation-starting lilac lip colours to sculptural couture by Gaurav Gupta, dramatic trains and larger-than-life silhouettes, nothing is ever off-limits in her sartorial rulebook.
What makes her Cannes appearances so enduring is their sense of reinvention. No two years feel the same and whether she’s leaning into old Hollywood glamour or experimental avant-garde dressing, Aishwarya has consistently treated the festival as a space for fashion spectacle. As another edition of Cannes prepares to unfold this week, we turn back time to revisit her ever-evolving style journey at the festival.
Tracing Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s sartorial evolution at Cannes
The former Miss World made her debut at Cannes in 2002 in a statement yellow Neeta Lulla sari. The following year, she turned to the designer once again, walking the red carpet in a lehenga with a pink bustier, followed by another sari in a striking shade of neon green. In 2004, she opted for a risqué cut-out gown by the designer. From then on, her fashion mood board looked westward for inspiration—she wore a svelte Gucci gown with a plunging neckline in 2005.
