Fashion often draws from existing trends, silhouettes and cultural references, but recreating a designer creation almost exactly can quickly become a subject of debate. That is what happened after Urvashi Rautela’s appearance at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival drew comparisons with Gigi Hadid’s much-discussed 2023 Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla ensemble. Now, designer Sandeep Khosla has shared his candid reaction to the controversy.
Speaking to NDTV on August 29, Khosla addressed Urvashi’s Cannes look and said he had recently come across social media posts discussing its resemblance to the outfit originally created for Gigi Hadid. “Just the other day I was seeing, there's a lady called Urvashi Rautela, I think, who wore a copy of ours, of Gigi Hadid... and there was an influencer doing a whole post on how you can get an original Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla outfit made where Urvashi got it made,” he said.
Khosla questioned the practice of reproducing a designer’s work without bringing a distinct creative perspective to it. Calling Urvashi’s outfit an “exact copy”, the designer also questioned the role of influencers in encouraging such reproductions.
“Firstly, Urvashi is wearing an exact copy of our garment without a thought. Either she has no exposure, or she has too much exposure. And then, the person (influencer) is actually encouraging the copies to happen, which I find really... there has to be at least some difference, or do some... it should be a take of an artist themselves to do something else. Also, that's called very easy fashion,” Khosla said.
He further spoke about the larger issue of plagiarism in fashion and suggested that those who choose to replicate existing designs should at least bring something new to the table.
“If you want to plagiarise and you want to copy, make a better version of what we are doing,” the designer added.
Why Urvashi Rautela’s Cannes saree drew comparisons with Gigi Hadid’s look
Urvashi made her appearance at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in an ivory saree featuring a chikankari-inspired aesthetic. She paired the traditional drape with a heavily embellished gold blouse featuring intricate detailing that gave the outfit a jewellery-like appearance.
The ensemble quickly drew comparisons with the ivory and gold Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla creation worn by Gigi Hadid in March 2023. The supermodel had worn the bespoke ensemble for the grand opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai.
Gigi’s original look featured intricate hand embroidery and reportedly took around a year to complete. Urvashi’s Cannes outfit, meanwhile, was created by Mihir Designer Studio and drew criticism from some social media users for resembling the earlier creation.
Also Read: Urvashi Rautela gets trolled after she apologized over the Gigi Hadid post
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