Urvashi Rautela, 'first Indian to wear Gigi Hadid saree in Cannes,' but no one's mad
Urvashi Rautela's ivory-and-gold Cannes saree drew instant comparisons with Gigi Hadid's NMACC look. The overlap sparked side-by-sides online, but much of the reaction tilted towards defending her.
Urvashi Rautela in a saree inspired by Gigi Hadid's iconic NMACC look. (Photo: Getty Images)
Okay, do you remember supermodel Gigi Hadid’s saree moment in India? Yes, exactly that one.
The ivory-and-gold Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla drape at the NMACC opening, a chikankari base, a heavily embroidered border, and a sculpted gold blouse that nodded to South Indian jewellery. Add just enough crystal and sequin, and it was engineered to catch every flashbulb in the room.
Cut to Cannes.
Urvashi Rautela stepped onto the red carpet in an ivory saree with a strikingly similar visual grammar — gold border, draped pallu, and a sculptural gold blouse. The resemblance didn’t take long to clock. Social media did what it does best: screenshots, side-by-sides, and a collective “wait a minute.”
The internet, surprisingly, kept it kind
If there’s one thing that defines Urvashi Rautela (besides her unapologetically maximal wardrobe), it’s her unapologetic aura. Good or bad, criticism or not, she carries everything with a badge of honour and she is very nonchalant about it
So, once again, her look became the talking point on social media, the narrative could have easily turned against her. But it surprisingly didn’t.
Beyond a few scattered “not again” reactions, the tone stayed unexpectedly generous. If anything, people seemed more interested in defending her than dissecting the overlap.
“I love Urvashi. She is happy, not hurting anyone and enjoying her life. Why are people so bent on pulling her down?” read one comment.
Another added, “Honestly loved seeing people defend a self-made woman instead of joining the usual hate train Kindness over hate.”
Repeating yourself isn’t a crime
In an industry that thrives on references — from Audrey Hepburn to Madhubala and Asha Parekh — revisiting a look isn’t exactly radical. Fashion has always borrowed, reworked and revived.
So wearing something clearly inspired by a model’s earlier outing shouldn’t automatically read like a misstep. It’s fashion, repetition is practically the business model.
But if it’s suddenly framed as a first, well that’s when the internet starts taking notes.
- Ends