Her first appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 was nothing short of a fashion disaster. Seven years later, Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai`s walk of poise and elan at the ongoing French festival has left the Indian fashion fraternity raving.Her choice of an elegant white off-shoulder Roberto Cavalli train gown teamed with a neatly tied bun and simple pearl drop earrings besides a Swarovski box clutch and red peep-toes was a sureshot hit. And a complete throw away from the jarring green sari she wore to the event in 2002, say designers.
According to designer Raakesh Agarvwal, also known for creating elaborate gowns, it was Aishwarya`s stylist who was to be blamed for her fashion faux pas and not her.
For designer Abdul Halder, Aishwarya, whose dress would have cost nothing less than Rs5 million as per industry estimates, looked as though she was wearing a "wedding gown minus the veil".
Though the beauty queen-turned-actress exhibited marked improvement in her dressing sense with differently styled gowns at the event every subsequent year post-2002, she scored a perfect 10 with her attire this year.
This year she was at the Cannes as an activist for social and humanitarian causes by lending her name to the International Tribunes Cinema Verite. The Bollywood diva addressed a press conference along with Queen Noor of Jordan Thursday to announce the third edition of the event that will take place later this year in Geneva (Oct 6 to 8) and Paris (Oct 9-10).
Cinema Verite is a special event dedicated to films and social actions that promote human rights and the eight Millennium Development Goals adopted by the UN.
