Designer Sandeep Khosla Takes A Dig At Urvashi Rautela's 'Copy' Of Gigi Hadid's 2023 White-Gold Saree: 'Make A Better Version'

Fashion can borrow, reinterpret and reference, but when a red-carpet look appears almost identical to an existing creation, the conversation can quickly turn into something else. That is exactly what happened after Urvashi Rautela stepped out at Cannes in a saree that drew comparisons with Gigi Hadid’s much-discussed 2023 Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla ensemble. Now, designer Sandeep Khosla has shared his unfiltered reaction to the controversy.

Sandeep Khosla calls out Urvashi Rautela's 'copied' saree

Speaking to NDTV on August 29, Khosla did not hold back when recalling his reaction to seeing Urvashi's Cannes appearance online. The designer said he had recently come across posts discussing the outfit and was surprised by how closely it resembled the original creation.

"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 explained.

He went on to question the idea of reproducing a designer's work without adding an individual creative interpretation.

"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," the designer added.

Khosla also addressed the larger issue of plagiarism in luxury fashion, adding, "If you want to plagiarise and you want to copy, make a better version of what we are doing."

The Cannes look that started debate

The online debate began when Urvashi made her appearance at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in an ivory saree with a chikankari-inspired aesthetic. The traditional drape was paired with a heavily embellished gold blouse covered in intricate jewellery-like detailing.

The resemblance to Gigi Hadid's celebrated Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla look from March 2023 was immediately noticed by fashion followers. Gigi had worn the bespoke creation at the grand opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai.

The original was a hand-embroidered creation that reportedly took around a year to complete. Urvashi's Cannes ensemble, meanwhile, was created by Mihir Designer Studio, which was heavily trolled by netizens.