Aishwarya's 'hoodie couture' on Cannes red carpet leaves the world divided

Cannes, May 18 (IANS) Making her 21st appearance on the Cannes red carpet on Thursday evening (local time), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, after French photographers mistook Urvashi Rautela for her, left observers flummoxed with her choice of clothing.

The less respectful called it 'hoodie couture', some others said it appeared as if she had picked up a flowing sheet of aluminum foil from a kitchen in a hurry to act as a sort of canopy atop her flowing black gown; her fawning fans, however, insisted that she was looking very much like the "Queen of Cannes".

In the past, according to media reports, she has shown up in a gold mermaid gown by Roberto Cavalli, accessorised with coral lips and immaculate hair, or as the personification of Cinderella, and last year, Renaissance painter Botticelli's ageless masterpiece, The Birth of Venus, had clearly inspired her look.

Earlier in the morning, she wore a little more understandable dress -- what looked like a shimmery green cape (reportedly by Valentino) paired with straight hair, light lipliner, and high heels. This look was for a L'Oreal event. Aishwarya has been representing the cosmetics giant for more than two decades.