It's a special year for actress and Cannes veteran Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - she will be completing 15 years at the world's most prestigious film festival. The red carpet at Cannes is also one of the most glamorous and unforgiving of showbiz fashion parades and Ash's Cannes fashion diary has been a mix of hits and misses so far.
We've been proud every year she's been on the French Riviera but let's just say that some years, we've been prouder than others. Here's a quick lowdown of Aishwarya's fashion milestones at the Cannes Film Festival so far.
When Aishwarya attended the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in 2002, her wardrobe was supervised by designer Neeta Lulla. Ms Lulla dressed Ash both on-screen - as in that year's Devdas - and off it. On the Croisette, at least, Aishwarya's choice of outfit found little fashion favour. Her canary yellow sari and heavy-duty gold jewellery was ripped apart by fashion critics at home. All that glittered quite literally was gold but Aishwarya's Cannes debut was deemed a red carpet disaster.
The Neeta Lulla effect continued into the next few years. In 2003, she repeated the same mistake with a loud lime green sari and a tacky topknot, which was slammed badly by the fashion press. Ms Lulla gave her a revealing white gown in the year 2004. That didn't go down well either.
After three strikes out at Cannes, Ash finally got it right in 2005. On day one, she wore a flirty, printed dress by Gorgio Armani and the next appearance was in a black Gucci number which got her a thumbs up.
In the year 2007, Aishwarya married Abhishek Bachchan and they debuted as a power couple for the first time on the Cannes red carpet. A silver white gown, shimmering diamonds and Junior Bachchan by her side - Ash never looked more gorgeous.
2008 was the year of Aishwarya and Abhishek. Ash looked vibrant in a gold gown on day one, a sensuous black gown on day two and a fuchsia dress on day three.
By the year 2009, Aishwarya had mastered the art of red carpet appearances. She made a smashing appearance in a white strapless gown by Roberto Cavalli and on the second day she wore an off-shoulder Elie Saab gown.
By 2010, she was a red-carpet veteran and her violet off-shoulder gown by Elie Saab on day one and a shimmery black strapless gown by Armani Prive on day two got her all the right reviews. She was also seen a bright magenta pleated chiffon halter neck gown designed by Gucci that looked perfect on the red carpet. The same year, she also nailed the Indian look with a sequined Sabyasachi sari and posed with her husband.
In 2011, she was ready to charm her fans in a beautiful Elie Saab one shoulder embroidered off-white gown. The next day, she looked sharp in a geometric Armani Prive gown paired with smokey eyes.
In the year 2012, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was a new mother and she walked the Cannes red carpet with as much aplomb as she had in previous years. Back home, watching Ash's weight had become a national pastime of sorts and she was criticized for failing to lose the extra kilos in tme for Cannes. Ash didn't care and, seeing her sashay down the Croisette in a shimmering grey Elie Saab dress that clung to every curve, neither did anyone else.
The appearance in Elie Saab almost - but not quite - made up for the widely-panned cream chikankari Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla sari that Aishwarya wore with a jacket instead of a choli at the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala with an embroidered jacket.
In 2013, she came back with a bang. Aishwarya wore a sleek teal one-shoulder Gucci gown on day one and the next day, her favourite designer Elie Saab.
The year 2014 was Aishwarya's annus mirabilis at Cannes. She stopped traffic first in a body-hugging gold gown and then in a white shimmering strapless gown - both by Roberto Cavalli - and became an instant red carpet darling. Even now, we can't get over the way she shimmered like a mermaid for the shutterbugs and shushed her critics for good.
Last year, she won hearts in a beautiful pleated origami-inspired black and white Ralph and Russo gown. The jury was out on her shimmery emerald green Elie Saab number, however.
We've been proud every year she's been on the French Riviera but let's just say that some years, we've been prouder than others. Here's a quick lowdown of Aishwarya's fashion milestones at the Cannes Film Festival so far.
When Aishwarya attended the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in 2002, her wardrobe was supervised by designer Neeta Lulla. Ms Lulla dressed Ash both on-screen - as in that year's Devdas - and off it. On the Croisette, at least, Aishwarya's choice of outfit found little fashion favour. Her canary yellow sari and heavy-duty gold jewellery was ripped apart by fashion critics at home. All that glittered quite literally was gold but Aishwarya's Cannes debut was deemed a red carpet disaster.
The Neeta Lulla effect continued into the next few years. In 2003, she repeated the same mistake with a loud lime green sari and a tacky topknot, which was slammed badly by the fashion press. Ms Lulla gave her a revealing white gown in the year 2004. That didn't go down well either.
After three strikes out at Cannes, Ash finally got it right in 2005. On day one, she wore a flirty, printed dress by Gorgio Armani and the next appearance was in a black Gucci number which got her a thumbs up.
In the year 2007, Aishwarya married Abhishek Bachchan and they debuted as a power couple for the first time on the Cannes red carpet. A silver white gown, shimmering diamonds and Junior Bachchan by her side - Ash never looked more gorgeous.
2008 was the year of Aishwarya and Abhishek. Ash looked vibrant in a gold gown on day one, a sensuous black gown on day two and a fuchsia dress on day three.
By the year 2009, Aishwarya had mastered the art of red carpet appearances. She made a smashing appearance in a white strapless gown by Roberto Cavalli and on the second day she wore an off-shoulder Elie Saab gown.
By 2010, she was a red-carpet veteran and her violet off-shoulder gown by Elie Saab on day one and a shimmery black strapless gown by Armani Prive on day two got her all the right reviews. She was also seen a bright magenta pleated chiffon halter neck gown designed by Gucci that looked perfect on the red carpet. The same year, she also nailed the Indian look with a sequined Sabyasachi sari and posed with her husband.
In 2011, she was ready to charm her fans in a beautiful Elie Saab one shoulder embroidered off-white gown. The next day, she looked sharp in a geometric Armani Prive gown paired with smokey eyes.
In the year 2012, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was a new mother and she walked the Cannes red carpet with as much aplomb as she had in previous years. Back home, watching Ash's weight had become a national pastime of sorts and she was criticized for failing to lose the extra kilos in tme for Cannes. Ash didn't care and, seeing her sashay down the Croisette in a shimmering grey Elie Saab dress that clung to every curve, neither did anyone else.
The appearance in Elie Saab almost - but not quite - made up for the widely-panned cream chikankari Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla sari that Aishwarya wore with a jacket instead of a choli at the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala with an embroidered jacket.
In 2013, she came back with a bang. Aishwarya wore a sleek teal one-shoulder Gucci gown on day one and the next day, her favourite designer Elie Saab.
The year 2014 was Aishwarya's annus mirabilis at Cannes. She stopped traffic first in a body-hugging gold gown and then in a white shimmering strapless gown - both by Roberto Cavalli - and became an instant red carpet darling. Even now, we can't get over the way she shimmered like a mermaid for the shutterbugs and shushed her critics for good.
Last year, she won hearts in a beautiful pleated origami-inspired black and white Ralph and Russo gown. The jury was out on her shimmery emerald green Elie Saab number, however.
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