‘Pathetic and embarrassing’: Designer Tarun Tahiliani trolled over outfits for Indian athletes at Paris Olympics

PV Sindhu in Tarun Tahiliani saree Pic/X

The 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony featured star shuttler PV Sindhu and seasoned table tennis player Sharath Kamal as the flagbearers for the group of 78 Indian athletes and officials that arrived in the Parade of Nations at the River Seine on Friday.

The opening ceremony, which was open to all residents from Paris and its region as well as visitors from all over France and around the world, saw Indian athletes dressed in ceremonial outfits designed by Tarun Tahiliani-owned TASVA.

The men wore kurta bundi sets while the women donned matching saris, reflecting India's tricolour flag. The outfits featured traditional ikat-inspired prints and Banarasi brocade.

However, as the images surfaced on social media, Tarun drew flak for his ‘mediocre' work.

One user wrote, "Tarun Tahiliani and the Ministry of Textiles bureaucrat who okayed this horrendous ceremonial saree should be tried for treason! What a wasted opportunity!"

"From a country known for its textiles and weaves, we have our players wearing digital prints for the biggest sporting event! Am I the only one upset about it?" added another.

Another user commented, "For a country known for its astonishing variety of fabrics & master craftsmanship, heritage & skill honed over generations .. this is a pathetic and embarrassing effort. It even has a tacky stitched-on shoulder patch."

"Hello Tarun Tahiliani! I have seen better Sarees sold in Mumbai streets for Rs.200 than these ceremonial uniforms you've ‘designed'. Cheap polyester-like fabric, Ikat PRINT (!!!), tricolors thrown together with no imagination Did you outsource it to an intern or come up with it in the last 3 minutes before the deadline? Such a disgrace to the rich weaving culture and history of India" added another X user.

For those unversed, the recently held grand wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant witnessed a plethora of bespoke outfits by Tarun, including the one worn by Kim Kardashian. A section of netizens even recalled the same for reference and compared it to the Olympics disaster.

Meanwhile, Tarun is set to unveil his collection ‘Otherworldly' at FDCI India Couture Week 2024. He describes it as, "Imagine being enveloped in a cocoon- feeling safe, cared for, and in complete harmony with your body and transcending into a new phase of your beauty. To me, that is the world I aspire to create through our couture. ‘Otherworldly,' is a journey into a realm where comfort and ethereal beauty coexist seamlessly".