Parul Gulati makes a head-turning debut at Cannes Film Festival in a dress made of braided hair

Hair becomes haute couture in a clever way as Parul Gulati served a creative braided hair dress look at Cannes.

Cannes Film Festival 2025 red carpet saw several creative looks over the past years, but actor-entrepreneur Parul Gulati's braided hair dress managed to carve out a space of its own entirely. This innovative look certainly stood out as one for the books. Completely on-brand for her, as the founder of Nish Hair, a hair extension brand, it was more than just a fashion statement. 

Parul Gulati wore a braided hair dress to Cannes.(Instagram/getty images)

In an earlier, exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, Parul explained the vision behind the dress, how it’s about being herself, and wearing something that is uniquely hers.

More about the look

Parul's dress was custom-made by the label ITRH². The dress was entirely made out of braided hair. The braids were manipulated to coil around the neckline, creating a structured bust, while they cascaded down the bodice and became loose and untied for a fringe-like effect at the asymmetrical hemline. The dress embraced both movement, from the swaying, untied braids at the hem, and intricate textural details.

While the dress seized all the spotlight, Parul's hairdo dialled down the drama with a neat bun and a soft, face-framing wave. For the makeup, she went for a soft, rosy nude style, looking radiant and demure. The styling of the hair and makeup complemented the dress without overwhelming it.

New dress code for Cannes Film Festival red carpet

The Cannes red carpet has long been a playground for bold, avant-garde fashion for years. And avant-garde is all about shaking things up, pushing boundaries, experimenting and trying something unexpected- like Parul did with her braided hair dress. 

Another common type of avant-garde fashion red carpet sees is the bold nude fashion with its experimental cutouts, sheer barely-there materials. However, Cannes recently tweaked its dress code and banned nudity on the red carpet on the grounds of decency. Along with naked dressing, long trains and voluminous dresses were also prohibited, citing practical reasons.