The Indian Cannes Red Carpet Moment We've Been Waiting For

Up until a day ago, I didn’t even know who Nancy Tyagi was, but after seeing her walk the red carpet in a voluminous gown, and giving her interview in Hindi, I couldn’t help up but cheer for her.

Up until a day ago, I didn’t even know who Nancy Tyagi was, but after seeing her walk the red carpet in a voluminous, heavily ruffled, strapless gown in a blush pink color, and giving her interview in Hindi on the red carpet, I couldn’t help up but cheer for her. Without getting into the politics of language (which is too nuanced and complex to tackle here), it was nice to see a woman speaking in Hindi at one of the biggest red carpets of the world.

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For the longest time, Cannes was limited to English-speaking population of India. Even when Indian celebrities go to Cannes, they speak in English with media that mainly broadcasts in, again, English. What it essentially does is limits the audience that’ll get to know about what Cannes is and get to enjoy all the glamour that comes with it. Nancy speaking in Hindi made her, and in turn Cannes, more accessible to the Hindi-speaking population of India. Obviously, since there are many more languages in India, she was not made accessible to everyone in the country, but regardless, this in itself is beautiful in it’s own way.

Born in Baranwa, Uttar Pradesh, Nancy Tyagi rose to prominence with her videos recreating outfits worn by celebrities. Over the last few years, Tyagi has replicated many designer outfits donned by celebrities, including Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt. In her videos, Tyagi begins by showing the original design. She then takes her viewers along as she searches for fabric in shops around Delhi, stitches the pieces in front of the camera, and finally reveals the final look.

So, considering how she became popular on Instagram, she stayed on brand and noted that she made the gown herself. It apparently took her a month to make it. Finishing off the look with long gloves, a simple necklace, soft makeup and open hair, the styling made sure all of the attention was on the dress.

It’s not like we’re seeing a woman in such a big dress at Cannes for the first time. Cannes has been filled with such dresses for over a decade now. In fact, Deepika Padukone herself wore a neon Giambattista Valli ruffled gown back when she walked the carpet in 2019. But it was Nancy’s earnestness that appealed her to everyone. Her sheer presence at the carpet felt like a moment to be celebrated.

At Cannes 2024, she walked the carpet as a part of the Brut India squad. In a sea of fashion influencers now crowding the Cannes red carpet (which was once an exclusive place), kudos to Brut India for helping shine a light of this hidden gem.