'We wanted something which denotes hope, birth and beauty', says Gaurav Gupta, who designed Aishwarya’s sculpted Cannes gown

Just like for the past two decades, Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stunned everyone with her mesmeric presence and glamorous looks at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.

The former Miss World debuted at Cannes for the premiere of her film Devdas in 2002. She has been a regular at the movie extravaganza as a global ambassador of beauty brand L’Oréal ever since. During her two-decade-long journey at the festival, she has made some unforgettable red-carpet appearances.

For the third day of her Cannes appearance in 2022, Rai Bachchan slid into a Gaurav Gupta creation and set millions of hearts on fire with her glamorous look.

Gupta, a well-known fashion designer, says he wanted to create a special moment for the star’s 20th year at the Cannes Film Festival and that inspired him to present the former Miss World as the “new-concept Venus”.

The gown, which took 20 days and over 100 craftspeople to create with the actress involved in the creative process right from the beginning, is the ace couturier's interpretation of Italian artist Sandro Botticelli's famous painting ‘Birth of Venus’.

Aishwarya wore Gaurav's custom-made queen pink sculpted creation on the third day of the ongoing film gala for the premiere of Armageddon Time, after opting for a black Dolce & Gabbana ensemble on day two.

“Aishwarya is a complete woman and a beautiful person. As I got to know her through the process, I discovered a wonderful, spiritual person who is really connected to her soul and is elegant. That purity in the absolute sense of beauty inspired me to think of the concept of the ‘Birth of Venus’,” Gaurav told a newswire from Cannes.

The Delhi-based designer, known for his experimental sculpted designs, said he wanted to create something that denoted “hope, life, and beauty”.  “We wanted something which denotes hope, birth, and beauty. After all the world has gone through in the past few years, we wanted to celebrate life and art," he added.

The designer, a graduate of London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, accompanied Aishwarya for the appearance and said the frenzy at the red carpet surrounding the actor filled him with joy.

“The frenzy, the love, that Aishwarya receives here, it's almost madness. People couldn't stop screaming her name out loud and the fanfare was insane. So just to see that frenzy, it fills you with joy... She is a phenomenon in Cannes. It's like a real-life film in itself," he said.

His futuristic designs have been regular on the red carpets of various global events with international stars like Cardi B, Thalia, Saweetie, Olivia Culpo, Nicole Scherzinger, Nana Akua Addo, Deepika Padukone, Lady Victoria Hervey, and Gigi Gorgeous wearing his creations.