When Poornima Indrajith's Kerala handloom couture glimmered at Oscars

Actress-designer Poornima Indrajith has always delighted Kerala's fashion scenario with attractive and innovative creations. Known for blending handloom ensembles exuding Kerala's unique traditions with a modern touch, 'Pranaah' her homegrown label is a trusted name in Indian fashion for international events. The brand has now reached another proud moment on the global stage by dressing Ananya Shanbhag for the Oscars 2025 red carpet. Poornima created this special Oscar outfit for Ananya using Kerala handloom fabric.

Over the years, the brand has designed outfits for many well-known artists and technicians at prestigious platforms, including Divya Prabha at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, Divya Prabha at the Locarno International Film Festival 2022, Nimisha Sajayan at the Venice International Film Festival 2019, Geetu Mohandas and Shanthy Balachandran at the Toronto International Film Festival 2019, and Parvathy Thiruvothu at the grand opening of The Modern Art Museum in 2019. Now, the brand has stepped onto Hollywood’s biggest red carpet event, bringing Indian handloom into the global spotlight at the Academy Awards.

Ananya Shanbhag, a 21-year-old performing arts student and Bharatanatyam dancer from Mumbai, played a key role in the Oscar-nominated short film Anuja, produced with the backing of Priyanka Chopra. The film, nominated in the category of Best Live Action Short Film, tells a moving tale of two orphaned sisters working in a garment factory, highlighting themes of resilience and sisterhood.

To attend the Oscars, Ananya wanted a look that reflected her love of dance, her youthful spirit, and her Indian roots. She trusted Pranaah to bring this vision to life, working closely with Poornima Indrajith and her team to create a handcrafted outfit that felt both personal and unique.

The outfit, made using handwoven fabric, features intricate hand-drawn machine embroidery and pitta work. It consists of a structured woven corset and a flowing skirt with a trail, designed for comfort and movement while capturing the grace of a dance form.

The colours were carefully chosen to reflect Ananya’s personality and artistic background. To complete the look, Poornima collaborated with Kavya Potluri, the designer behind a well-known demi-fine jewellery brand, to create statement pieces inspired by Bharatanatyam’s rich details. Poornima’s design marvel fused well with Kavya’s jewellery to make Ananya a graceful presence at the red carpet event.