When Our Stars Failed To Shine

Fashion thrives on risk, but 2025 reminded us that not every risk deserves a standing ovation. Some deserve a polite nod. Others deserve a meme storm. And a few deserve to be remembered as lessons in what not to do when cameras, critics, and comment sections are watching.

From Cannes to the Met Gala, red carpets this year became accidental comedy stages, where confidence was high but execution… questionable. Celebrities showed up ready to be talked about — and talked about who they were, just not always for the reasons they’d hoped.

Urvashi Rautela’s Cannes appearances have evolved into a category of their own — part fashion gamble, part performance art, part social experiment. This year, she stepped onto the red carpet in a strapless gown that looked like it had been dipped into every crayon colour available —blue, red, yellow —none blending, all competing.

But the real scene-stealer was her crystal-encrusted parrot pouch, paired with a matching tiara. Accessories are meant to enhance a look, not hijack it. Unfortunately, this bird was the loudest guest on the carpet. “Accessories are meant to support an outfit, not audition for a solo career. If people remember the prop more than the person, something’s gone very wrong,” says Megha Arora, a fashion critic.

Sabrina Carpenter has been living in bodysuits all year thanks to her tours, so when she appeared in a burgundy Louis Vuitton bodysuit paired with a cropped blazer and dramatic train—sans pants—the reaction was less outrage, more boredom. It wasn’t a disaster. It was just uninspired. In a year when experimentation ruled, this felt like a copy-paste moment. Fashion fatigue is real, and this look confirmed that repeating silhouettes too often can drain excitement faster than a bad lighting setup.

Especially when you almost match with your fellow pop star La Lisa Manobal — but with a different colour.

Concept: Strong. Execution: Missing.

Deepika Padukone rarely misses, which made her Harper’s Bazaar appearance this year particularly disappointing. Known for commanding silhouettes and fashion authority, this look felt strangely muted. The outfit lacked structure, impact, and the visual drama we’ve come to expect from someone who usually dominates every frame. “The problem isn’t that some looks were bad — it’s that they came from people we expect excellence from. Disappoint-ment hits harder than shock,” says Nandita Bose, fashion critic.

It wasn’t offensive, but it was forgettable. And for Deepika, forgettable is a fashion fail. When a star of her calibre fades into the background, it’s a reminder that even icons need to bring their A-game—especially when expectations are sky-high.

Alia Bhatt has been fashion’s golden girl all year — clean silhouettes, soft glam, and effortless elegance. Which is exactly why her year-end fashion choices raised eyebrows. At the Red Sea Film Festival, she appeared in a voluminous, shapeless dress that resembled a bedsheet caught mid-drape.

The silhouette overwhelmed her frame and dulled her signature charm. What usually feels intentional and refined suddenly looked accidental. When minimalism isn’t carefully tailored, it stops being chic and starts being confusing—and this was one of those rare moments when Alia’s fashion compass seemed temporarily off.

With Cannes enforcing a “no big trains” rule, Farhana Bodi found a creative workaround—by moving the excess fabric from the bottom of the dress to her head. The result was a dramatic wrap that made her resemble a Barbie-core frilled lizard mid-strut.

Bold? Absolutely. Subtle? Not even remotely. Between the loud colour and the oversized shawl, the look crossed the line from high fashion drama into costume territory. Fashion hacks are admirable, but when the outfit starts wearing the person, it’s time to reassess.

What tied many of 2025’s fashion fails together wasn’t bad taste—it was desperation for virality. Accessories got bigger, silhouettes louder, and concepts thinner. In the race to trend, cohesion often got lost.

Camp works when it’s intentional. Drama works when it’s balanced. Chaos, however, rarely flatters anyone. While women bore the brunt of fashion scrutiny, men weren’t innocent. Repetitive tailoring, safe suits, and minimal experimentation dominated male red carpet appearances. Accessories alone don’t make a look bold—risk does. “When a look confuses the audience instead of inspiring them, it doesn’t trickle down into fashion—it dies on the red carpet,” says Luxury fashion buyer Maya Lobo.

Fashion fails aren’t crimes. They’re reminders that style is risky, subjective, and occasionally ridiculous. And honestly, that’s what keeps fashion fun. These moments give us memes, debates, and endless group-chat discussions.

Because if every look was perfect, fashion would be boring.