Well, well, well… it seems as though our desi gal knows all about making a stunning debut. Sporting a Ralph Lauren trench coat dress with a super exaggerated train, silver smokey eye and raisin coloured lips and hair pulled into a tight top knot, Priyanka Chopra became the talk of the town beating Rihanna and Katy Perry as she attended ‘Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night in New York City.
Even though the Indian fashion circuit had a mixed bag of reactions to her sartorial choice, they all agree, unanimously, to one thing — she is a head turner.
Deepika Padukone too made her appearance at the Met Gala but unlike Pee Cee, she chose a much safer option — a white Tommy Hilfiger gown.
“When the subject and honoree of fashion’s biggest night, the Costume Institute’s Met Ball, is the trailblazing individual and avant-garde proponent Rei Kawakubo and her label Comme des Garcons, the most supreme fashion risks are expected. After all, Kawakubo is all about exaggerated volumes, deconstructed construction, challenging silhouettes and unexpected layers,” elucidates stylist Rishi Raj, adding, “However, I would like to say that while Deepika underwhelmed, Priyanka, overwhelmed with her choice.” He continues, “However, when it comes to the Met Gala, one should stand out rather than blend in. And if you stand out at the Met Gala, I guess it’s a crazy good thing.”
Agreeing to what Rishi pointed out, designer Urvashi Kaur shares, “Firstly, it’s wonderful to see such great Indian representation at a legendary event like the Met Gala. Having said that, I was a little underwhelmed by Deepika’s look too. It was way too safe and tame at an outing that celebrates fashion in its truest sense.” She adds, “Priyanka, on the other hand, made a little more effort but the exaggerated trench and the boots were a bit off key and didn’t quite come together completely.”
“If you would ask me whether the silhouette did anything good to enhance her figure? I’d say…it was not a good choice,” shares Rishi. And a critical Siddartha Tytler adds, “It was too boxy and structured. The makeup too didn’t do any justice to her beauty.”
On the other hand, noted fashion blogger and writer, Arie Purushu notes that Priyanka was among the few out there who could think beyond glamour and made a relevant and intelligent style statement — “A trench coat gown with the longest trail is a quirky tribute to the great designer who bridged boundaries between art and design. Not that Deepika didn’t look great but people will get it if Priyanka grabs all the headlines for herself. Padukone, was playing it mainstream in what’s arguably the biggest avant-garde platform, where one has every freedom to experiment, especially with Comme des Garcons being the theme.”
Designer Archana Kochar, lastly, attributing Priyanka’s confidence as being one of her major strengths, says, “Yes, what she wore was over-the-top, but she once again proved that it is her confidence and poise that make her this fierce and stunning personality.”
