On her 40th birthday, we celebrate Sonam not just as an actress but as a style icon who made red-carpet-worthy sarees and power dressing feel personal.
It’s not every day that Bollywood finds itself at the heart of global couture. But Sonam Kapoor ensured it wasn’t just possible—it became the norm. In 2024, she was named the first South Asian global ambassador for Dior, turning the fashion world’s gaze towards the East. Paris Fashion Week 2025? Sonam was stunned in a sheer black gown with faux fur on her shoulders, jasmine in her hair, and Sahara earrings shimmering in the French lights.
By the time she floated into Kyoto for Dior’s Fall 2025 show in cherry blossom pastels, the message was loud and clear—India wasn’t borrowing the fashion spotlight anymore. It was creating one. And Sonam Kapoor was the woman holding the torch.
Sonam never just wore a saree. She sculpted it to tell a story. Take the 2014 gold drape by Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla—its daring backless blouse kicked off a nationwide demand for experimental blouse designs. Or her red Studio Medium saree for the Beckham dinner in Mumbai, where roses tucked in her hair gave a nod to yesteryears while the clean lines whispered of quiet rebellion.
Whether it was pairing a Gujarati vadlo with an archival Dior piece or wearing oxidized Afghan headgear for a Vogue India shoot, Sonam redefined what ‘fusion’ meant—not a mix, but a conversation between cultures.
Sonam bought nearly the entire range when Phoebe Philo released her debut drop in 2023. Each piece became a sensation, from a £12,000 shearling coat to a grey suit that could silence a room. Her endorsement wasn’t just a nod but a seal of style approval. Two-thirds of the collection sold out in 24 hours.
At home, she backed Indian labels like Masaba Gupta and Lovebirds, often before Bollywood even heard of them. When she wore Anamika Khanna’s modern saree to Cannes in 2013, international orders for the designer jumped 18%. That’s the kind of power Sonam Kapoor wields—not with volume, but with vision.
Sonam doesn’t just wear Indian textiles; she celebrates them. At the 2023 King’s Coronation Concert, she stood as a vision in chintz by Anamika Khanna sewn into a gown by Emilia Wickstead—two continents shaking hands in silk. Her wedding lehenga, designed by Anuradha Vakil, became a benchmark in bridal fashion—heavy, rooted, unapologetically Indian.
Every ensemble is a chapter of where she came from and where fashion can go. From Amdavad ni Gufa photo shoots to Cannes red carpets, Sonam ensured Indian craftsmanship never felt like heritage—it felt like the future.
Long gone are the days when actresses relied on film costumes to make a fashion statement. Sonam rewrote the rules. Now, style is brand identity. A Filmfare survey from 2015 revealed that 60% of actresses began hiring stylists because Sonam raised the bar. One prominent actress even joked, “Thanks to her, my stylist bills are out of control.”
Behind the magic is her sister Rhea Kapoor, co-stylist and creative partner. Together, they are responsible for looks that consistently trend online and fill high-street racks with knock-offs.
From 35.4 million Instagram followers to fashion posts raking in over a million likes, Sonam Kapoor is a digital-age trend goddess. Hashtags like #SonamKapoorStyle trend globally. Her Dior ambassador post alone saw 200,000+ mentions in two days.
And this isn’t just social media noise. Jewellery sales, luxury footfalls, ethnic blouse trends—all have seen statistical jumps tied to her appearances. The data paints a clear picture: Sonam doesn’t follow trends—she creates economic ripples.
To emulate her is to understand balance—bold earrings with bare makeup, a blazer with a lehenga, a whisper of old Bollywood with the confidence of a runway. Sonam Kapoor has done more than dress well; she’s redefined Bollywood glamour.
On her birthday, we don’t just celebrate an actress. We honour an architect of modern Indian fashion. A woman who took sarees to the Met, power dressing to Paris, and Indian craft to the world.
