India, May 21 -- It's not every day that a red carpet look revives a mythology. But at Cannes this year, Natasha Poonawalla didn't just serve fashion, she summoned a moment in fashion history that was part fantasy, part fever dream, and entirely unforgettable.

Her look: a heady mix of John Galliano's India-inspired Spring/Summer haute couture for Dior, fused with an archival jacket from the Fall/Winter 2002 collection. But this was no costume. Styled with an almost academic precision by Anaita Shroff Adajania, the look felt archival not just in provenance, but in purpose.

"Natasha has always been a true trailblazer in fashion," says Adajania. "She doesn't just wear clothes, she tells stories through them. For those of us who see fashio...