Sonam, 27, wore designer Anamika Khanna's couture white lace saree that had pearls embedded on it. She gave the nine-yard cloth a contemporary twist by teaming it with a kundan nath (nose ring) and long gold embroidered cape jacket.
Fashion designer Sabyasachi designed all the three dresses that Balan wore at the festival where she is part of the nine-member jury. The actress, 35, first selected a white-gold saree and dark embellished blouse for jury photo call.
Balan chose elegant maroon lehenga and full-sleeved choli for a later event. She completed her ethnic look with a black bindi, neatly tied bun and jhumkas.
Talking to PTI, Sabyasachi said he was happy to see Indian fashion make a statement on Cannes red carpet.
More From This Section
"Indian actresses are doing a great job at Cannes. If you are not taking your own ethnic designs to the international platform then you are doing nothing. It is great to see Indian designs on Cannes red carpet," Sabyasachi said.
Actress Mallika Sherawat, notorious for her risque red carpet outings, chose a demure golden gown at 'The Great Gatsby' premiere.
This year India is the guest country at Cannes, which was opened by Bollywood mega star Amitabh Bachchan and his 'The Great Gatsby' co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.
Cannes is celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema and to honour the event, Bachchan addressed the audiences in Hindi.
The mega star, who wore an embellished tuxedo, will be joined by his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and granddaughter Aaradhya at the festival later.