There are very few men in Bollywood who experiment with outfits, take risks and nail it in the fashion world. Actor Vijay Varma is one of those rare individuals. Recently, the Darlings fame actor made his red-carpet appearance at Cannes 2023 and left everyone absolutely stunned. While Indian actresses steal the show every year, Vijay Varma single-handedly put up quite a show this year.
Varma walked down the Cannes 2023 red carpet after a decade. He made his debut appearance in 2013 with his film Monsoon Shootout. This year the actor attended the festival as a part of the Indian delegation which was headed by the country’s minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L Murugan.
After arriving at French Riviera, the actor posted a picture of himself creating the kind of buzz he seemed to be precisely aiming at. The next thing we know, Varma has walked down the red-carpet giving style cues to Indian men.
Varma’s Cannes 2023 black and white look was tailored to perfection. It was formal yet fancy and made him look just perfect for the occasion. The actor radiated his charm like no other Indian male celebrity did at the carpet, the credits for which go to his fashion stylist Vrinda Narang.
This is not the first time that Narang has styled the actor. She says, “I have been styling Vijay even before the release of Gully Boy. It had been almost five years now!” However, for Narang, this was her first time styling a celebrity for a prestigious global event of as high stature as the Cannes Film Festival. While Narang couldn’t be at the venue, she says, “I was feeling jitters sitting here in India but I had a lot of fun putting Vijay’s look together.” Commenting on what it’s like styling Varma, Narang shares, “Styling is a form of expression through clothes, and clothes can be a reflection of ideas that one is interested in. We both are interested in each other’s ideas and we try incorporating them in one way or the other when we work together. That makes our process collaborative, and I enjoy that the most.”
The actor’s dapper look at the Cannes film festival has made Indian men look to him for inspiration when it comes to dressing up and looking fashionably classy. If you are one of those who couldn’t stop complimenting the actor for his looks at the festival and wished to pull off a look similar to his, we got Narang to share with us everything that went into styling him and some easy ways to recreate his red carpet looks that you can totally try out.
Black tuxedo
Vijay Varma in his dapper black tuxedo looking classy at Cannes 2023. Photo Courtesy: Sasha Jairam
The actor shared this look on his Instagram and expressed what he felt about being at the festival. He wrote, “It’s good to be back here” and thanked the National Film Development Corporation, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for making him a part of the delegation.
Varma wore the outfit by designer Gaurav Gupta. He paired the tuxedo wearing an open bow, which made him look crisp and red-carpet ready. Narang says, “I tried imagining what he would feel at the time. Since this was going to be at the Cannes Riviera, I wanted to subtly blend in French and Indian sensibilities. Besides, Vijay and I also like vintage accessories. So, the dragonfly brooch from Amrapali was an element of jewellery that we plugged in. The flared pants gave a nice shape to his overall form.”
Tips to recreate this look
The charm of this look, Narang says, is that it is minimalistic. It can be very easily recreated and can have many variations depending on the kind of occasions you are attending. All you need is a well-tailored black suit, a black shirt and an open bow tie. Vijay wore an all-black ensemble, but one can opt for a white shirt inside if they want a contrast.
To complete the look, Narang says you can accessories it with fine jewels of platinum to compliment the simplicity of the outfit. Since it is an all-black look, it’s important for the footwear to have another texture for it to stand out. She suggests sporting patent shoes could add the right amount of glamour to this outfit, making it a versatile choice for evening occasions. Adding to this she strongly suggests keeping the black tuxedo look sharp and effortless.
Off-white satin silk kurta and flared trousers
A fresh look for Indian men, Vijay Varma nailing the satin attire at the film festival. Photo Courtesy: Sasha Jairam
This was Varma’s second look at Cannes 2023. A little less formal than the black tuxedo. The actor painted the whole of Paris with shades of pearl with his fancy, semi-Indian satin outfit. A long white kurta topped with a blazer and flared pants with prints on either side, Varma sported this look so wonderful that we couldn’t gaze off. His all-white outfit was pure silk, custom-made by Anamika Khanna. Narang’s inspiration for this look was Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ (a historical drama film), who was known for her extravagant lifestyle. The stylist says, “Vijay has played dark characters in his recent work, be it for ‘Darlings’ or very recent ‘Dahaad’. I wanted the clothing to be antithetical to the characters he played in these and paint a balanced portrait of him as an actor and a human.”
To enhance the look, Narang also had shoes specially made of silk for Varma. “I prefer the outfit to add something to the actor’s persona and for the actor to give it an individualistic flair,” says Narang.
Tips to recreate this look
Although this look of Varma might come across as too fancy for men to pull off, it is actually the easiest to recreate. Moreover, it is a very flattering silhouette for many kinds of body types. All you need is a blazer, kurta and pants from the same colour family. Vijay wore an asymmetrical kurta, but one can go for a different length of kurtas as per their proportions and tweak the look.
To finish the look, you can pair it with either loafers, formal shoes, or leather sandals. Since the outfit has many things going on already, Narang suggests keeping it minimalistic. Silver jewellery would go well with the outfit which was also Varma’s go-to option. The more contemporary, clean and casual you keep this outfit, the better it will stand out.
This look can be styled for a sangeet event, your own engagement party or an evening party was well.
While we spoke about two red-carpet looks of Varma that gave menswear a fresh twist in the fashion world, the actor also donned a hybrid kurta and hybrid dhoti trouser by designer Arjun Saluja that was styled by Narang, which was equally stylish.
Also Read: Cannes 2023: Anushka Sharma makes a mesmerising red carpet debut in a sparkling white ensemble
Curtains have fallen on Cannes 2023 and we are yet to get over the stunning red carpet looks of Bollywood actor Vijay Varma. Thanks to him, we got a fresh take on Indian menswear. If you have been wanting to sport the actor’s Cannes outfits, we have his stylist Vrinda Narang share easy tips on how to recreate his looks
