4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: May 18, 2026 12:02 PM IST
Diana Penty has returned to the Cannes Film Festival with a bang. Switching between a ‘dipped in a little Indian gold’ Manish Malhotra sari and a ruby Amit Aggarwal couture, the Cocktail actor walked the red carpet with seasoned poise and elegance. Styled by Namita Alexander, Penty chose the gold ensemble at the Bharat Pavilion, “because in India, gold has always meant more than just colour, ” as she mentioned in the caption of her Instagram post. A matching structured jacket, a sleek belt, and smokey eyes added a touch of drama to her look.
The second look was bold and dramatic in all the right ways, with Penty’s wet hair giving an editorial feel. The dress reinterpreted the essence of Ikat through a futuristic, sculptural lens, embodying Amit Aggarwal’s signature architectural language through intricately engineered 3D sculptural forms across the bodice, creating an armour-like fluidity.
“Constructed using corded industrial techniques, the garment sculpted the body through rhythmic linear formations and dimensional contours inspired by the geometry, symmetry and precision of Ikat weaving traditions. Textured pleating, intricate beaded fringe detailing and sculptural elements introduced a sense of movement and transformation with every gesture,” the designer shared via press note.
The ensemble was further layered with the brand’s signature glitch embroidery, developed through intricate glass bead detailing and surface interventions exploring distortion, perception and evolving identity. Aggarwal’s inspiration behind the look was to reimagine Ikat beyond its conventional visual language and translate its rhythm into sculptural form.
Penty styled the look with dark, smokey eyes, a ruby choker and embellished heels.
Fashion watchdog Diet Sabya took to Instagram to share a video of posing on the iconic steps of Hotel Martinez, revealing exclusive details of the look in the caption:
“Lady Di(ana Penty) is back on the Cannes red carpet with the official sponsor BMW (some of you can’t even say the full form of BMW!). Smokey eyes representing French Le cigarette 🚬 economy and wet wet hair baby. She is wearing Amit Ag-GAG-rwal couture hunny. If Vecna and Goddess Venus banged on an engineered Ikat mattress, thiss would be the couture love child ISTG.”
Huma at Cannes. (Source: Instagram/@humaqureshi)
Huma Qureshi goes black
Huma Qureshi, who previously paid homage to the ghats of Benaras at the French Riviera, stuck to a black palette for the rest of her appearances. From an Oscar de la Renta piece with gold accents to an Eman Alajlan gown with a plunging neckline, the Gangs of Wasseypur actor celebrated the spirit of cinema with grace during her first time at Cannes.
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Bella Hadid on the red carpet. (Source: Instagram/@bellahadid)
Bella Hadid’s icy glam
Supermodel Bella Hadid was also spotted at the French Riviera, touching down in Ellie Saab couture — a floral white and green top, flared white jeans, with hair pulled in a top knot and oversized sunglasses. She walked the red carpet with her brother Anwar Hadid in custom Prada. Her strapless ivory gown featured a bejewelled bust, which she paired with a vintage shawl, Chopard diamonds and pointed ivory pumps. A sleek pulled back bun, bronzed skin and icy inner corner highlight added to her frosty glam.
Isha Ambani’s maximalist nod to Lagerfield’s Chanel
In other news in the fashion world, Isha Ambani embraced maximalist glam in a gold ‘Lesage’ quilted Chanel pantsuit from Karl Lagerfeld’s Autumn/Winter 1996 couture collection, paired with a Gripoix Belt from Tab Vintage. Styled by Jamie Mizrahi, the co-founder of Tira Beauty carried a Suede Mini Pouch from Chanel’s Cruise 2025/26 collection, and accessorised the look with YSL sunglasses and leather slingback sandals from Manolo Blahnik.
