It is official: Pearls are the new sequins. Sequins, please kindly scat.
Pearls are no new Johnnies on the red carpet. We have seen showers of pearls before, but not a Mother of a Downpour.
At the Met Gala, Kim Kardashian came robed in half a million pearls. The draped Schiaparelli top and skirt made 'from over 16,000 crystals and 50,000 freshwater pearls' was anything but basic, even though she was trolled by fans for 'taking couture out of couture and making it slightly trashy' :)).
Back home, we have seen pearls hog centrestage long before the Met Gala with Deepika Padukone's ethereal impearled leaf-style bustier and collar at Cannes 2022.
An Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla creation, the one-of-its kind Peter Pan collar, gracing her slim neck, was, unlike Kim, couture at its finest.
Sopping with pearls, Alia Bhatt made her Met Gala debut in Prabhal Gurung's social media-vanquishing gown crafted from silk tulle, satin, organza and, of course, an army of gazillion pearls.
In a recent photo shoot, Kriti Sanon doubled down on trend in a Manish Malhotra whitewashed sari and an infinity blouse with pearls cascading down her shoulders and bust, creating a whole 50s vibe in the 21st century.
So guys, it is global mollusk weather.
IMAGE: Imagining herself to be a long-lost daughter of sea god Nereus, Janhvi Kapoor recently swam into view in a glittering aqua Manish Malhotra prom-ready two-piece, with strings of pearls doing the hard work of holding her voluptuous kelp-ish bustier in place.
The sea conch earrings stayed true to the theme of being a jalpari style ki rani!
Photograph: Kind courtesy Janhvi Kapoor/Instagram
IMAGE: There's a pearl orgy happening in Janhavi's closet.
This champion of the style stakes debuted in an avalanche of pearls earlier, when she donned a choli bursting with pearls, which was a part of a Manish Malhotra ivory ensemble, as she glittered her way to the opening night of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Arts Centre.
The outfit was marriage of traditional aesthetics and contemporary mood, with Janhavi bride-like presiding over this white wedding.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Manisha Malhotra/Instagram
IMAGE: For Alia Bhatt it is not about a gal's friendships with diamonds, because she feels 'a girl can never have too many pearls' and went red carpet with this thought in a Prabhal Gurung sitting-on-a-tuffet gown that's certainly etched a place in social media's collective memory.
'The embroidery, made with 100,000 pearls was a labour of love.' Quite.
Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
IMAGE: If Janhvi has been kow-towing to the ocean deities, Dolly Singh's eyes went heavenwards as she played handmaiden to Nephele, who rules the clouds, in her blooming from the badal getup.
Her stagey costume celebrated muchness via a conical bra of pearls, a dhoti-style skirt enchained in pearls and a dramabaaz cape kissed with pearls.
Should we set the tune to Ramata Jogi because she wafted to her own Taal on the Cannes red carpet.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Dolly Singh/Instagram
IMAGE: Of late, Manish Malhotra is gambolling around pearls the way toddlers muck about with play-doh.
Here's one more motis-surplus number from the designer's inventory and boy does 'param sundari' Kriti Sanon look princess-ish in it.
The designer's '1950s (inspired) timeless classic pearl and white story' unveiled like a show reel on Instagram.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Manish Malhotra/Instagram
IMAGE: The fashion world is Kim Kardashian's oyster, and she made her 'pearly Met dreams came true' with 50,000 pearls over a nude corset and, erm, not much else.
You gotta admire Keek's solid commitment to the Queen of Gems.
Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
IMAGE: Curvy or not, can pearls ever harm or do wrong. Rumors singer Lizzo wrapped herself in a curtain of them at the Karl Lagerfeld-theme Met Gala 2023.
Many termed this her 'revenge dress' that was an 'ode' to the late German fashion designer, who was allegedly fatphobic.
She definitely left no crumbs behind and 'took up space in a place she wasn't wanted earlier. That itself is a revolution,' quotes a fan.
Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
IMAGE: We end with Deepika Padukone who was a proponent of pearls way before the likes of Kim, Lizzo, Alia and even Janhvi.
You can't call this 'fit her most jaw-dropping feat, but the fashion Fighter surely made a mark with her strong pearl game.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Deepika Padukone/Instagram