‘Pathetic and embarrassing’: Designer Tarun Tahiliani trolled over outfits for Indian athletes at Paris Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony featured star shuttler PV Sindhu and seasoned table tennis player Sharath Kamal as the flagbearers for the group of 78 Indian athletes and officials that arrived in the Parade of Nations at the River Seine on FridayThe opening ceremony which was open to all residents from Paris and its region as well as visitors from all over France and around the world saw Indian athletes dressed in ceremonial outfits designed by Tarun Tahilianiowned TASVAThe men wore kurta bundi sets while the women donned matching saris reflecting Indiarsquos tricolour flag The outfits featured traditional ikatinspired prints and Banarasi brocadeHowever as the images surfaced on social media Tarun drew flak for his lsquomediocrersquo workView this post on InstagramA post shared by Sufi motiwala sufimotiwalaOne user wrote ldquoTarun Tahiliani and the Ministry of Textiles bureaucrat who okayed this horrendous ceremonial saree should be tried for treason What a wasted opportunityrdquoTarun Tahiliani and the ministry of textiles bureaucrat who okayed this horrendous ceremonial saree should be tried for treason What a wasted opportunity pictwittercompinvFVqJqdmdash Dr Pooja Tripathi Pooja_Tripathii July 27 2024ldquoFrom a country known for its textiles and weaves we have our players wearing digital prints for the biggest sporting event Am I the only one upset about itrdquo added anotherAnother user commented ldquoFor a country known for its astonishing variety of fabrics amp master craftsmanship heritage amp skill honed over generations this is a pathetic and embarrassing effort It even has a tacky stitchedon shoulder patchrdquoldquoHello Tarun Tahiliani I have seen better Sarees sold in Mumbai streets for Rs200 than these ceremonial uniforms yoursquove lsquodesignedrsquo Cheap polyesterlike fabric Ikat PRINT tricolors thrown together with no imagination Did you outsource it to an intern or come up with it in the last 3 minutes before the deadline Such a disgrace to the rich weaving culture and history of Indiardquo added another X userHello Tarun TahilianiI have seen better Sarees sold in Mumbai streets for Rs200 than these ceremonial uniforms yoursquove lsquodesignedrsquoCheap polyester like fabric Ikat PRINT tricolors thrown together with no imagination Did you outsource it to an intern or come up with ithellip httpstcoaVkXGmg80Kmdash Dr Nandita Iyer saffrontrail July 27 2024For those unversed the recently held grand wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant witnessed a plethora of bespoke outfits by Tarun including the one worn by Kim Kardashian A section of netizens even recalled the same for reference and compared it to the Olympics disasterJust for reference some of Tarun Tahilianis creations that have been in the public eye recently the modern saree is quite literally his signatureNot to mention high artisanship apparently the ikat digital print was done to meet timelines which is fair httpstcoWkjhAh5y3u pictwittercomLUzRDbceJvmdash Fulltime Kitaab Buyer Parttime Reader AlphaNaMila July 27 2024Meanwhile Tarun is set to unveil his collection lsquoOtherworldlyrsquo at FDCI India Couture Week 2024 He describes it as ldquoImagine being enveloped in a cocoon feeling safe cared for and in complete harmony with your body and transcending into a new phase of your beauty To me that is the world I aspire to create through our couture lsquoOtherworldlyrsquo is a journey into a realm where comfort and ethereal beauty coexist seamlesslyrdquo