Cannes 2025: Simi Garewal at 76 stuns in graceful white look that blends Indian craftsmanship with global sophistication

For her Cannes debut, Simi Garewal chose a corset and skirt combo paired with a cascading jacket that was crafted from raw silk and adorned with Indian motifs.

Simi Garewal, along with actor Sharmila Tagore and filmmaker Wes Anderson, walked the red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 19. Simi was in Cannes for the screening of her 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri, directed by Satyajit Ray. She made her Cannes Film Festival debut in a custom ivory ensemble by the designer label, Karleo. In a May 20 interview with Vogue India, Karleo's head designer Leon Vaz shared details of Simi's Cannes look.

Simi Garewal made her debut at Cannes Film Festival for the screening of her 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri directed by Satyajit Ray. (Instagram/ Vogue India)

What did Simi Garewal wear at Cannes 2025?

The veteran actor and host of Rendezvous with Simi Garewal loves the colour white and expectedly wore the shade for her Cannes debut. Simi chose a voluminous ivory skirt, highlighted with rose montes and intricate silk threadwork. It was paired with a modern, cascading jacket that was crafted from raw silk and adorned with Indian motifs, and a matching corset. Simi completed the look with a statement floral necklace and elegant pearl earrings. Simi also sported a bunch of bold rings.

Simi wore an upcycled older corset with new jacket

Designer Leon Vaz told Vogue India he 'brought her vision to life' and how the dress 'had a lot of changes due to the new rules by the Cannes Film Festival'. He said, “The idea was simple — to represent India on the global platform — it's all India fabrics like raw silks and Indian motifs, but applied on a modern cascading jacket. There is a freshwater pearl corset finished with a voluminous skirt highlighted with rose montes and silk threads. They are also made in different shades, ranging from dark ivory to light ivory.”

Speaking about the hidden details of Simi's look people might have missed at first glance, he added, “A lot of time viewers miss the details on the garments. There are a lot of textures which are needed when colours are limited and you have to work with just one family of colours. But the joy is in noticing these textures along with everything else. One interesting fact is that we upcycled one of our older corsets and paired with the new jacket and skirt. This statement by an iconic celebrity provides a fresh point of view.”