For centuries, India’s colourful and intricately designed traditional clothing has fascinated people around the world with its rich fabrics and meticulous craftsmanship. Once worn only at major Bollywood or international events, these clothes are now making a significant comeback as everyday fashion globally.

While red carpets have long been the domain of opulent European haute couture, a multicoloured array of traditional Indian pieces like saris, lehengas, and anarkali suits gained widespread attention at this year’s star-studded events such as the Met Gala and Cannes Film Festival, reports Indian Express.

Sonam C Chhabra, who made her debut at the Cannes Film Festival this year, couldn’t be happier with the overwhelming response from her fans and followers about her choice of traditional Indian attire. She says, “I noticed a growing sense of curiosity and admiration amongst the global fashion fraternity for our Indian attire while at the Paris Fashion Week and Cannes Film Festival.”

Over the years, major global designers and brands like YSL, Dior, John Galliano, and Chanel have drawn inspiration from Indian styles, says celebrity stylist Akshay Tyagi, incorporating elements like the sari into their designs which then get amplified on social platforms. The vintage sari-inspired Chanel dress Naomi Campbell wore to the 2023 Met Gala is a prime example.

Bollywood costume designer and stylist Niharika Bhasin attributes this to the sari’s versatility in modern fashion and the impact of social media in amplifying these looks globally. “It is now being styled in various innovative ways, including dress forms and unique draping techniques after going viral on social platforms,” she says.

Concurring, Tyagi noted that when a trend becomes a sensation on social media, it quickly gains widespread popularity. This renaissance is clearly being catalysed by international content creators. German content creator Silky, who has 157,000 followers on Instagram alone, spoke to indianexpress.com about the response to her posts featuring traditional Indian garments from her global audience.

She says, “It’s been so lovely and positive! Whenever I post content wearing Indian attire, people always seem to love it.” Fashion creator Vishnupriya says she noticed a growing trend where people from different countries are inspired to create content using saris after watching her videos.