The moment Urvashi Rautela walked onto the Cannes 2026 red carpet in an ivory and gold sari look, fashion girlies collectively went: 'Wait...
haven't we seen this before?'
Yes, we all have. Three years ago.
The look reminded style hawkeyes of Gigi Hadid's unforgettable appearance at the 2023 Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre launch in Mumbai, where the supermodel wore a custom creation by Designers Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla.
Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff
Urvashi's version was created by Mihir Design Studio in Pune. It was giving 'Saw it. Loved it. Tailor bhaiya, please recreate' vibes
Urvashi wore it to Cannes with such confidence that we had to double check whether it was the same custom piece or a recreation.
Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff
Gigi's ensemble was designed with intricate chikankari, a sculpted gold blouse inspired by South Indian temple jewellery and sharp shoulders. The entire look was engineered with precision and styled with sleek minimalism.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Urvashi Rautela/Instagram
Urvashi's version softened the silhouette with rounded shoulders, a sweetheart neckline and a more traditional fitting. It wasn't trying to be an exact frame-to-fame copy; it felt more like a recreation. And isn't fashion all about inspiration?
Urvashi walking into Cannes in a recreated version almost felt like she was representing every girl who screenshots celebrity outfits, saves Pinterest references and believes a good local designer can pull off magic too.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Urvashi Rautela/Instagram
Of course, being Urvashi, she added her own quirks to the look with a now-famous (or infamous) flowerpot-shaped bag that completely hijacked social media discourse for a day and a funky hairstyle.
Meanwhile, Gigi had kept things chic with a tight bun and almost no accessories, just stacked bangles.
Somewhere between couture and confidence, Urvashi accidentally gave fashion girls a little hope that maybe, just maybe, that dream outfit can be recreated.