This Diwali, Alia Bhatt didn’t just turn heads; she rewrote the festive fashion code. Choosing instead of a conventional saree or lehenga, she stunned in a look that blended tradition with irreverent styling. The outfit, by esteemed designer duo Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla, struck the perfect balance of subtlety and audacious chic.
Typically, Diwali wardrobes lean into opulence: bold colors, lavish embellishments, and timeless drapes. Alia, however, opted for something markedly different. Her sheer light-pink chikankari kurta, layered over a satin blouse, introduced modesty and modernity in one breath. Accessorized with a pearl-and-floral choker, matching ring, gold jewelry, and finishing touches of gajra-adorned hair and minimal makeup, the outfit wasn’t just a costume; it was a statement.
Why the look matters
- Re-imagining heritage: The concept of a lungi is always gender- and region-specific, typically casual. Here, its essence has been elevated into couture: formal, feminine, and festively elevated. In this way, Alia broadens the lexicon of what Indian festive wear means.
- Understated luxe: The sheer chikankari kurta contemplates transparency and layering instead of going for granules of embroidery or very loud prints. The minimalist makeup, delicate jewelry, and hair furled into a bun create a toned and simple look but still lend themselves to sophistication.
- Trend-rewriting potential: By pairing a silhouette that refers to traditional menswear and the lungi but pairs it with feminine drape elements, she suggests a future where festive dressing is based more on being experimental and less prescriptive.
- Styling as dialogue: This is more than clothes—it is a visible conversation about comfort, identity, and heritage. The placement of the skirt as a lungi-inspired drape opens doors for reinterpretation.
How to take cues from the look
- Choose pastels for your festive base for a soft, contemporary palette.
- Pair a sheer or lightly embroidered kurta with a drape that’s worn like a skirt: pleats in front, borders visible, minimal pallu.
- Accessorize with one significant piece (like the floral-pearl choker), and keep other jewelry minimal for balance.
- Finish with understated glam: glossy lips, defined lashes, sleek parted hair, and fresh florals (gajras/she-gaajras) if you like.
- Get playful with “what-if” styling: what if a dhoti became a jumpsuit? A lungi became a skirt? The idea is bold reinterpretation rather than basic replication.
The Cultural Impulse
The lungi, which is a garment long understood to signify laid-back South Asian masculinity, offers profound cultural significance. Alia and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla reposition the garment within a luxury women’s ensemble, reconciling regional identity with urban sophistication. The outfit underscores India’s textile diversity, showcasing how draping textiles from different regions can cohere through progressive design. It discreetly references a common heritage throughout the subcontinent. From the dawn of time, fashion has always been a process of exchange, remaking, and play.
Beyond the Red Carpet
With influencer-driven uniformity, Alia’s look feels refreshingly subversive. Her look represents a shift towards authenticity and comfort that today’s younger generations in India seek. The younger generations desire garments that tell a story, not simply sparkle in front of the camera. Using such a humble, but inspirational, garment as the lungi fabric, Alia makes a statement that fashion can be based in heritage, history, and forwarding movement. Designers, stylists, and everyday wearers will not overlook this statement.
Alia’s selection this Diwali represents much more than a moment in fashion; it’s a mini manifesto. By challenging the conversation, she rallies around a personal and creative approach to festive dressing. The next time someone asks, “What am I supposed to wear for Diwali?” Maybe the answer will indeed be something recognizable, though entirely reconceived.
So, whether you’re rooted in tradition, after comfort, or after the “next” big trend, this look sends a single and clear message: The question of festive style today is not about adhering, it’s about re-writing.
