Manish Malhotra revealed that Alia Bhatt’s sangeet lehenga was crafted from leftover fabric swatches from her previous outfits, celebrating sustainability in couture. The stunning ensemble, made of 180 fabric patches, took 3,000 hours to complete and was later re-worn by Alia at Diwali.
Alia Bhatt
Sustainable fashion is increasingly becoming the talk of the town, especially with A-list celebrities embracing eco-friendly choices. Alia Bhatt is among those championing sustainability and re-wearing outfits. Recently, ace designer Manish Malhotra revealed the story behind Alia’s sangeet lehenga, calling it a piece that truly embodies sustainability.
Manish Malhotra on Alia's upcycled lehenga
Malhotra shared the story on a recent episode of JioHotstar’s Pitch to Get Rich, where actor Akshay Kumar is also a panellist. During a discussion on sustainability in fashion, creator Dipa Khosla said, “The next generation of consumers, Gen Z, are very fashion-aware. They notice who reuses or recycles outfits. As someone whose job is to dress up, I think re-wearing is the perfect role model move.” She cited Alia Bhatt’s sangeet lehenga as an example, prompting Malhotra to share its backstory.
“Alia’s mehendi outfit was her idea. She asked me if I had swatches or leftovers from pieces made for her in the past. As a designer, I keep records of my work, so her lehenga was made entirely from leftovers,” he said.
About Alia's outfit
The outfit features around 180 textile patches, ranging from block prints to intricately embroidered fabrics. The design reflects her personal journey and memories, with Kashmiri and Chikankari embroidery crafted over 3,000 hours by the women of Mijwan. The handwoven silk ensemble also includes Banarasi brocades, jacquard, bandhani, Resham knots, and scraps from Bhatt’s earlier outfits, along with details from Malhotra’s archives.
Interestingly, Alia not only upcycled the outfit but also re-wore it. She donned it again at Manish Malhotra’s Diwali bash last year, styling it differently with an elegant updo, statement kundan and polki chandbalis, and traditional kadas.
Akshay Kumar on his son's obsession with sustainability
On the same episode, Akshay Kumar revealed that his son Aarav is passionate about thrift shopping and is a big time champion of sustainable fashion. “My son is the biggest brand ambassador of sustainability. He’s into thrift shopping. Even though I can buy him anything, he prefers thrift stores. He took me along once, and I finally understood why—Gen Z is more aware,” he said.
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