The Most Stylish Celebrities Of 2015
Updated December 24, 2015
2015 was quite a fabulous year for style: Bollywood’s finest worked the red carpet this year in looks that were a mix of chic, stunning, experimental and unexpected. From Deepika Padukone’s dominance as the fashionista this year, to some sartorial brilliance from Kangana Ranaut, the leading ladies of Bollywood ensured that they put their best fashion foot forward time and again. Even newcomers like Athiya Shetty and Kriti Sanon raised the bar in the style department. As the year comes to an end, we take a look at the 10 Most Stylish Stars who charmed us with their impressive outfit choices this year.
1. Deepika Padukone
The dimpled actress has undoubtedly ruled the style charts this year. Deepika proved she’s a bonafide fashionista as she donned some ultra-stylish looks over a host of promotions and off-duty outings. A Hauterfly regular as both a serious fashion and beauty inspiration, the actress has given us several style lessons to take cues from in the coming year. All credit to Deepika’s two stylists, Allia Al Rufai (right up to her Piku promotions) and Shaleena Nathani, who ensured that her looks didn’t boil down to being straight-off-the-runway copies but were super chic yet highly relatable. Whether it was working culottes with a sleeveless gilet, defying rules and matching a custom-made shimmer pencil skirt with a Breton-striped shirt, or defining easy chic teaming a double-breasted mustard Balmain blazer with cuffed Stella McCartney jeans, she worked them all with style. Not to forget that her ethnic style too has always been on point. All we can say is: thanks for a stylish year Deepika!
2. Sonam Kapoor
One actress who has pulled out all the stops when it comes to fashion is Sonam Kapoor. And what we love about her is consistency. She has maintained her status as Bollywood’s resident Stylista, never shying away from going that extra mile. Apart from well-executed outfits and putting her own spin on trends, it’s her natural flair that is highly appealing. Be it vintage-infused, ladylike chic in Ulyana Sergeenko, or her take on androgyny in a Kunal Rawal jacket, or even channeling a desi vibe in an Anamika Khanna outfit, Sonam has always stepped out like a diva.
3. Kangana Ranaut
If there’s one style evolution worth mapping in Bollywood, it’s got to be that of Kangana Ranaut. Busting perceptions, the actress made it to the top of the fashion set and has not moved down the charts this entire year. In fact, she’s the only actress whose sartorial choices are experimental but have hit the nail almost every time. From a Freida Kahlo-inspired look to being the girl-next-door, in a Gaga-esque avatar, keeping a business-ey vibe or channeling ladylike elegance, there’s nothing in the style department that Kangana has missed. Even her simple ethnic choices are a WIN.
4. Jacqueline Fernandez
One word for Jacqueline Fernandez: Gorgeous. While there’s no dearth of good-looking faces in Bollywood, here’s a star who gets additional scores for her fashion prowess. Recently, she worked an Elio Abou Fayssal feathered gown with ease and received a thumbs-up from fashion critics. While I agree that looking drop-dead gorgeous comes naturally to her, I particularly like it when she keeps it simple. For instance, her off-duty airport styles are super cute. What’s more, Jacqueline has the chops to make a fierce outfit look not only playful but also very relatable. She works trends like few others can; remember that car-wash skirt? Not to forget, some of her outfits are quite inspiring; we wish we could work that Cushnie et Ochs cut-out dress like she did, killing it, effortlessly!
5. Alia Bhatt
Young, fun, and true-to-her-style, that’s what Alia Bhatt was all about this year. Touted as the style icon for youngsters, this is one actress who works both high street brands and designer wear with equal ease. From cute mini dresses to brightly-accented separates, Alia works her look as the occasion demands. I loved the sweetheart-neckline doodle dress that she wore above. But it’s not just her cutesy looks that we love; even her boho chic Hemant & Nandita dress paired with ankle boots was fun and fresh. Always one to dress her age, the Nida Mahmood floral-embroidered jumpsuit too was a fashion win. Alia was one among the first few to have worked the brooch trend. Not to forget, she was the first to give us some serious #hairspiration with her unique braids.
6. Athiya Shetty
This young star proved she was 2015’s new fashion darling with the launch of her debut film. Frankly, she grabbed more headlines thanks to her fashion nous than her movie! And the one person responsible for helping her earn the title of Bollywood’s new fashionista is veteran stylist Ami Patel. That apart, she was also seen on leading magazine covers from Vogue to Elle and Grazia, proving that she’s a real diva in the making. From a Ka-Sha Clamp Dye Print Dress to a summery dress by Payal Pratap, or a sleek wrap dress by Issa London, whatever the style, Athiya did justice to each look. And she didn’t just keep it to just casual chic; we saw some stunning red carpet looks from her as well (here in an Elie Saab gown).
7. Kriti Sanon
Another actress to join the stylish girl squad while keeping her girl-next-door vibe intact is Kriti Sanon. We’re glad about this one — while gauging her initial looks, we heartily agreed at Hauterfly HQ that she would definitely be climbing to the top the style ladder. Her off-duty looks while promoting Dilwale instantly helped amp up her style quotient. In fact, we loved her easy-going ensembles. They were not just relatable but worth taking inspiration from. Taking cues from the back-to-school trend, she worked a Zara pinafore with sneakers, kept it cute in an Andrew GN dress, and even her recent red carpet look in a Michael Costello dress at the Stardust Awards (above) and the Gauri & Nainika gown at the Sony Star Guild Awards was a refreshing change. This actress is definitely on our style radar for 2016!
8. Aditi Rao Hydari
From sophisticated fashion outfits to easy-going ensembles and even risque sartorial options, Aditi Rao Hydari pleasantly surprised us this year, so much so that I’m bound to say this: better late than never! Her red carpet looks were on point — remember both Deepika and Aditi styled their similar gowns quite alike at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards? We are actually hard pressed to pick a favourite because both of them looked so stunning. Then she worked a Shivani Awasty gown in style, and looked elegant in a Samant Chauhan ensemble at the Sony Guild Awards. Even her desi looks were quite impressive: be it in a Surendri ensemble or a Rimple & Harpreet Narula creation.
9. Neha Dhupia
She is our go-to inspiration when it comes to style that’s eclectic, unique and chic. There’s no doubt that in 2015 Neha further honed her status as a style maven, oscillating seamlessly from rocker chic to desi dame. We’ve spotted her working some superb airport fashion, while she’s mixed and matched ethnic with contemporary perfectly. Remember her minimalist avatar in an Anavila sari accessorised with silver jewellery? In another look, we spotted her in a Shivan & Narresh dress and jewellery by Mrinalini Chandra, needless to say she looked haute! Wearing this Falguni & Peacock ensemble, she contemporarised an ethnic look. Talk about working ensembles and accessories into sartorial excellence — that’s what Neha is about!
10. Malaika Arora Khan
While walking countless runways and nailing exceptional dance numbers, Malaika Arora Khan has always kept us on our toes with her style nous. Never one to get an outfit wrong, I love how she wears silhouettes that flatter her curves. Her stylist Maneka Harisinghani has been quite instrumental in building her super stylish profile this year and deserves a mention. One outfit that really made the cut was her contemporary take on a Sanjay Garg lehengas (above): it was one of our most favourite festive wear inspirations this year! Another attire that Malaika looked like a million bucks in was this Elio Abou Fayssal creation. Then there was the Isabel Sanchis gown she wore for the Filmfare Awards red carpet; such a head-turner. I wish I could look half as stunning as her in my 40s!
