Deepika Padukone's style evolution, from Cannes Film Festival to the Met Gala

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone is gradually making a name for herself as a fashion force to be reckoned with, between her show-stopping appearances on the Cannes red carpet and several wedding outfits.

Padukone’s wardrobe seesaws between fashion-forward elegance and deep-rooted tradition with outfits by designers revered both in the west and among the Bollywood elite.

From 3D printed gowns by Zac Posen to Frida Kahlo-inspired lehengas by Sabayasachi (who designed Priyanka Chopra’s wedding outfit), the actress has even garnered a spot on the Met Gala’s stylish carpets.

Padukone, who is a former model, has an aesthetic that has evolved over the years.

Beginning with a girl-next-door vibe, she and her stylist have recently brought more of an edge to her wardrobe - implementing pieces from streetwear favourite Off-White and experimenting with frothy, graphic and sculptural designs.

It also helps that she counts designer Prabal Gurung as a friend, with Gurung writing in 2017 that Padukone was a “beautiful, poised, intelligent and joyous friend and muse.”

She’s additionally been in attendance at fashion week for designers including Christian Dior and Michael Kors, as well as modelling for premiere Indian designers, including Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. She also earned a spot on American Vogue's 2020 cover alongside Scarlett Johansson and Doona Bae, plus her very own 73 Questions feature for the fashion magazine.

She and her husband, fellow actor Ranveer Singh, are known to be one of India’s most stylish couples. Both of their (many) wedding outfits went viral for their numerous ceremonies and receptions in 2018, which were a strong mix of tradition and boundary-pushing pieces.

Her off-duty looks have also proven to be just as chic, whether she’s opting for a cape to stay warm at a Canadian airport or dressing down for press conferences.

While her more adventurous gambles don’t always pay off and her outfits sometimes strongly resemble other red carpet looks, other times Padukone dominates the Cannes best-dressed lists in swathes of rainbow tulle.

For more on Padukone’s most notable outfits and style transformation, read on.

Padukone has been working with stylist Shaleen Nathani ever since she filmed her 2009 hit Love Aaj Kal.

Prior to Nathani, she actually worked with Nathani’s mentor Anaita Shroff. Initially, many fans were upset with the shift. One outfit that Padukone wore to the EMAs red carpet drew ire at the time but Nathani stood her ground and defended her work.

She said to the Deccan Chronicle, “I am very critical about my work and if the look didn’t appeal to me, I would not have gone for it. You have to be sure about what you do, believe in yourself, that’s all that matters. As a stylist you can’t please everyone.”

Nathani has proven that her aesthetic is a force to be reckoned with, as she’s helped secure some of the actress’ most pivotal outfits - from Padukone’s numerous wedding outfits to her show-stopping gowns at Cannes.

She’s also been responsible for bringing in more of an edge to Padukone’s wardrobe, which can occasionally be a bit hit and miss.

Blink and you’ll miss the glimpses of cool girl brand Off-White in Padukone’s closet, helmed by the Hadid sister’s favourite designer Virgil Abloh.

Although Nathani has worked with numerous stars, she said to the Hindustan Times that Padukone was “one of my favourite people to style.” She continued, “Of course, she’s absolutely gorgeous, but I love the collaborative effort that it is when we work with her and style her, the final outcome is usually 99 per cent of what we had envisioned it to be.”

“I think she gives me the liberty and the time and patience to be able to execute that,” she said.

The Cannes Film Festival is truly when Padukone shines her brightest, opting for statement pieces that put Hollywood veterans to shame on premiere red carpets.

Giambattista Valli had a massive year in 2019 thanks to its array of flamboyant ruffled dresses and Padukone was bang on trend, choosing a lime green version that she accessorised with a nude silk headwrap.

Her 2018 fuschia Ashi Studio gown arguably had even more volume than her Valli dress, featuring gigantic sleeves and unusually arranged ruffles at the back of the gown to form a train.

After Padukone made headlines with her dress, Beyonce went on to wear the same dress at Global Citizen Festival the same year.

She strayed away from colour for her one of her most recent Cannes looks, opting for a voluminous white dress with an oversized black bow.

Teamed with an edgy high ponytail and exaggerated black eyeliner, the gown featured a sprawling train which trailed on Cannes’ famed steps as she ascended.

Her love of frothy gowns appears to be more of a recent development, as previously she has also worn more figure-flattering pieces - including a sheer Zuhair Murad gown.

Her off-carpet looks at Cannes also never fail to deliver and a caped white floral dress was a definite highlight.

Another highlight was a green printed one-shouldered cape dress.

She also spiced things up with a plunging metallic green gown for a L’Oreal event, who brought her along as their brand ambassador to the famed festival.

Padukone has attended the Met Gala three times, beginning in 2017 with the Rei Kawakubo/Commes des Garcons themed event.

Although Padukone played it safe her first year with a simple white dress, many stars do for their Met Gala debut with Beyonce and Rihanna playing down their first outfits.

The following year, she chose a ruby red gown by designer Prabal Gurung (who accompanied her to the star-studded event). Featuring a sculptural one shouldered detail and a sweeping trail, she opted for a monochrome look with matching heels.

By the time her third outing to the Met Gala came around in 2019, Padukone turned to Zac Posen for her most striking outfit yet. While her outfit may not have entirely suited the event’s ‘Notes on Camp’ theme, there was no denying that her 3D printed bubblegum pink gown was one of the most impressive of the night - complete with an updo and sparkling hairband.

Padukone’s superstar wedding to fellow actor Ranveer Singh was a highly publicised and extravagant event, spanning multiple days, countries, ceremonies, receptions and outfits.

The pair had two ceremonies in Lake Como, Italy: a Sindhi and a Konkani ceremony, before returning to India for their reception.

Padukone's Konkani wedding saree was not only beautiful, it was also especially meaningful as it was purchased for her by her mother Ujjala Padukone. In line with Konkani wedding traditions, mothers typically buy their daughters their outfits and Padukone's mother did a fantastic job.

Her mother chose a red and gold saree for her daughter from the Angadi Galleria and the piece was passed onto designer Sabayasachi, who tweaked the original so it matched her jewellery and veil.

For her Anand Karaj ceremony, Padukone wore a traditional red and gold lehenga by Sabayasachi. In a move that would later be copied by Hailey Bieber for her custom wedding veil, Padukone also opted for a personalised dupatta which has Sada Saubhagyavati Bhava' embroidered into its hem.

According to the Hindustan Times, the saying means 'May you always be lucky as a married woman.' Accessorised with gigantic custom earrings (also by Sabayasachi), she also wore numerous gold rings, bangles and traditional bridal accessories.

Sabayasachi said of working with Padukone to India Today, "Deepika knew everything, she knew who she was getting married to and why she was getting married. She knew the colour of her outfit, she knew the jewellery that she wanted to wear, her flowers."

As the first of many wedding receptions, Padukone chose a golden saree from House of Angadi for the occasion. The outfit, which was a present from her mother, was styled with show-stopping emerald jewellery including a dramatic choker and pendant.

Padukone's sister-in-law Rikita Bhavnani got involved with the wedding celebrations and threw the couple a party, which led to Padukone wearing yet another Sabayasachi design. This one was one of our favourites, as she channeled Frida Kahlo with an acid daydream touch.

Padukone took a break from Sabayaschi's creations and chose a white and golden saree by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, who also created outfits for Beyonce as well as Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas for their wedding day.

The designers shared a behind the scenes video about the creation of the outfit, which they said took "16,000 man hours" and that they had "taken it up a couple of notches for her." Featuring multiple drapes and a trailing dupatta, the jewellery was also custom made to match the outfit.

Turning to a non-Indian designer for her fiery reception look, Padukone worked with Zuhair Murad on a custom scarlet gown with a dramatic side split and matching veil.

Photos taken later on in the evening showed that the skirt was fully detachable, as she was seen dancing in a shorter version of it. She eventually traded her towering heels for a pair of clean white trainers to dance all night long.

Padukone may have developed her own sense of personal style, however, some of her outfits bear striking similarities to other red carpet outfits worn by Hollywood stars.

One of the most notable comparisons came last year, after she wore a purple feathered dress which bore a resemblance to one worn by Kylie Jenner to the Met Gala in 2019 (which Padukone also attended).

Her stylist said on Instagram that the purple look was custom-made for Padukone by designer Gaurav Gupta

Other celebrities fans have compared her outfits to include Zoe Saldana, Kendall Jenner and Lady Victoria Harvey.

A detailed white gown that Padukone wore in 2013 also drew strong comparisons to one that Jennifer Lopez wore just a year prior to the Oscars.