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Eternals actor Kumail Nanjiani got a little help from his mom in figuring out what to wear for his MCU red carpet debut on Monday night. Nanjiani — who plays cosmic-energy-powered superhero Kingo in the new Chloé Zhao-directed film — enlisted his mother, Shabana, to find a designer in Pakistan who would make him a traditional Pakistani sherwani to wear for the occasion.
Nanjiani tells The Hollywood Reporter (via email ahead of the premiere), “I wanted to wear a Sherwani because 1. They look awesome and 2. My costume in the film always reminded me of Sherwanis. And I wanted to use a designer in Pakistan, not just a Pakistani designer in the U.S. So I called my mom, she gave me names of three amazing designers in Pakistan.”
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From there, Nanjiani’s stylist, Jeanne Yang, and the actor ultimately connected with the House of Umar Sayeed, a designer based in Karachi, Pakistan, via Instagram. “I DM’d them,” says Yang.
For inspiration, Yang sent pictures to the designer showing “the colors and the vibe” of Nanjiani’s onscreen look — in Eternals, Nanjiani’s superhero character assumes the identity of a Bollywood star.
Says Nanjiani, “I wanted the colors to be similar to my costume colors, and purple and gold are a beautiful combination. The paisley pattern is very traditional as well.”
Adds Yang of the long, coat-like garment created by Sayeed, “They hand-beaded this beautiful paisley pattern in the front, and they did this beautiful pattern on the back with gold thread. They made it to his exact measurements. We only had to do a few minor adjustments.”
“It was wonderful for Kumail to have this gorgeous handmade piece for this special event, his first Marvel film,” she continues, “It’s really nice that he’s able to wear something that is a traditional piece of wardrobe. I love that he has an appreciation for where he comes from.”
Nanjiani — who was born in and grew up in Pakistan before moving to the U.S. for college — paired his look with a Patek Philippe watch and Christian Louboutin shoes.
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