Priyanka Chopra is an actress, producer, philanthropist, singer and former Miss World. And, as has become evident in recent seasons, she is also a style icon.
In honor of her birthday, we take a look at how the 38-year-old’s aesthetic has evolved over the past few years, transforming the star from girl next door to fashion queen, both on and off the red carpet.
She’s done so by – in equal measure – wearing international brands and championing Indian designers and classic Indian dress. Chopra even caused a spike in online searches for the terms “golden saree” and “red lehenga” when she wore them to her wedding to pop singer Nick Jonas in December 2018.
Red carpet queen
Chopra’s style is bold, polished and glamorous. Nowhere is that more evident than on the red carpet.
Chopra has been earning acting accolades since making her Bollywood debut in 2003. She has since become a Hollywood regular after starring as an FBI agent in ABC’s “Quantico” from 2015 to 2018.
In the US, Chopra started gravitating towards more relaxed fits and international designers, embracing retro jumpsuits and edgier leather looks. But it wasn’t until 2016, that her fashion credentials crystallized.
That year saw the star wearing one flawless outfit after the other – a glam embellished white strapless gown by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad at her maiden Oscars ceremony; a cerulean Atelier Versace stunner at the Billboard Music Awards; and a sharp white suit by ST.studio by Olcay Gulsen at the Time 100 Gala.
Chopra has also repeatedly shown she’s unafraid of taking risks.
For her Met Gala debut in 2017, Chopra wore custom-made Ralph Lauren trench coat with a dramatic collar and sweeping train. She followed it up in 2018 with an intricate beaded headdress.
Then, last year, she matched a feathery silver-and-pastel gown by Dior, with frizzled hair, silver-frosted brows and raspberry eyeshadow.
At the Golden Globes in 2017, she wore a body-hugging gold dress by Ralph Lauren. “It’s my first time at the Golden Globes, so I wanted to be the golden globe,” she told Vogue’s US edition. For her first Cannes Film Festival last year, she wore a dreamy white tulle Georges Hobeika tiered gown, which was actually a wedding dress.
“She is like an artist; you can see she has fun with it and doesn’t like to get lost in a crowd,” Chopra’s US stylist, Cristian Ehrlich, told Vogue India of her style. “She likes to use her voice and fashion to express her different moods.”
Off-duty cool
Impressing on the red carpet is one thing, but repeatedly turning heads with your fashion is another altogether. And the 37-year-old has done so while experimenting with trends, making them a louder, bolder, bigger versions of themselves.
Last year’s monochrome look? She nailed it, and then elevated it to new heights with a series of head-to-toe one-tone ensembles in shades of bright pink, turquoise and mint.
The floral prints that were all over the spring-summer 2018 and 2019 collections, from Marni to Loewe? They turned up riotously in Chopra’s wardrobe. As did the ’70s aesthetic seen at Gucci, Anna Sui and Alberta Ferretti.
Chopra has also combined clashing items, like a velvet bomber jacket and wool tweed palazzo pants, and stepped out in stunning dresses complete with fringing and a thigh-high splits.
Celebrating Indian fashion
While she’s made her love for couture and international brands clear, Chopra has also embraced designers from her native India.
Since the start of her career, the actress has proudly shown off her roots by supporting and showcasing Indian designers, from more established names like Sabyasachi, Anita Dongre and Manish Malhotra – all fashion powerhouses in India – to up-and-coming talents, like Masaba Gupta.
In February, she walked the finale of India’s Blenders Pride Fashion Tour, an annual event that scouts new talents in association with the Fashion Design Council of India, to show her support for local creatives.
But her Indian ancestry shone the brightest at her lavish five-day nuptials to Jonas, when she sported one elaborate traditional Indian dress after the other. They included a silver beaded lehenga from label Falguni Shane Peacock that took 12,000 hours of work, and a red one by designer Sabyasachi, stitched by 110 embroiderers.
Chopra’s enthusiasm for diverse looks that span cultures makes her a style icon worth watching – at home and on the red carpet.