Sufi Motiwala defends influencers paying to attend Cannes

For someone who built an audience by sitting on the sidelines and dissecting celebrity fashion moments, walking the same red carpet he once reviewed still feels surreal for Sufi Motiwala. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, content creator and fashion commentator Sufi Motiwala opened up about his Cannes debut, the debate around influencers paying for red carpet access, and more.

Over the years, Cannes has increasingly seen influencers and digital creators become part of the global spectacle, often leading to conversations around access, privilege and whether creators “pay” their way into the festival. Addressing the debate candidly, Sufi said he personally did not spend money to attend Cannes.

He also defended creators who choose to invest in attending global events like Cannes, as, according to him, it is simply another way of building visibility and networking within the industry.

“I just feel like at the end of the day it's about what you can gain out of these events. So, certain creators who do not want to wait for the brands or the opportunities to find them, they pay money to go. But I don't think we should ding them at the end of the day. It's the same as going and getting a press release done or getting a shoot done."

"You are just trying to make your way ahead in your career. But obviously, any creator who's watching, you should wait for your due because when you're approached, and you don't have to pay to go, it's all the better," he added.

Sufi also addressed another common assumption around Cannes appearances: influencers allegedly paying photographers to click their pictures on the red carpet. According to him, there is more nuance to the process than social media discourse often suggests.

"It's the Cannes Riviera, the French paparazzi is not going to know me, the niche influencer from Bombay. So that is why you have to [pay and get clicked]. And honestly, it's expensive because to stand on that red carpet, you need an accreditation. So that's why it's expensive. It's not like people often make it up to be like, ‘Oh my god, the influencers are trying to do some sham to the world, our money is getting wasted.’ We just want to make our career. I feel like they get a lot of shade and hate for that, and at the end of the day, they're just trying to progress in their career," the content creator said.

Speaking about his debut at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, he said the experience was far bigger than anything he had imagined for himself when he first started out online.

“That's the funniest part. I guess that three or four years ago, when I started doing fashion commentary, it was never like my belief or my dream to be...obviously, it's been my dream to attend the Met Gala. But even for the Met, I want to be the red carpet host and do my journalistic thing. So the fact that I'm attending it as a guest, it just feels like grasping for more than what I ever dreamt of," he said.

He also expressed how the invitation felt validating in more ways than one, as it felt like he was being valued, and that people saw that value in him.

While Sufi is known for confidently reviewing celebrity fashion online, he admitted that being on the other side of the camera is intimidating. The creator shared that he is already mentally preparing himself for the pressure and choreography of the Cannes red carpet.

He quipped, "Red carpet is so long because it's the first, second, third [holding areas] then you're on the steps and then there's the last photo op at the end. You're there for a good five to seven minutes. Typically, a red carpet is 30 seconds. My team is going to give me a full ‘I have to smile like this, I have to stand like this, I have to look here and there’ before I walk on.”

After years of critiquing celebrity appearances, Sufi Motiwala confessed that he is now excited to see what other fashion commentators would have to say about his look. "All I'll say, bring it on," he concluded.