No nipples, no trains, no voluminous outfits – those were the rules dictated by Cannes Film Festival this year ahead the most glamorous red carpet of the season. It follows years of ‘naked dresses’ and extravagant gowns, with the festival synonymous with iconic high fashion moments from celebrities and supermodels alike.
‘The Cannes Film Festival is like the world’s longest red carpet, with two weeks of premieres and photocalls, so it’s no surprise that the stars pull out all the stops when it comes to agenda-setting fashion,’ Grazia’s senior fashion writer Natalie Hammond says. ‘There have been some truly iconic looks that we’re still talking about today. Princess Diana’s ice blue gown by Catherine Walker, for example, or Naomi Campbell re-wearing 1996 Chanel last year, with alternate stripes of sequins and mesh that revealed subtle flashes of skin.’
The most famous naked dresses of all? Bella Hadid’s breast-baring Schiaparelli lung dress in 2021 and see-through Saint Laurent dress in 2024, as well as Kendall Jenner’s all white mesh 2017 Schiaparelli Haute Couture dress, plus her black, snake-themed Roberto Cavalli gown in 2016. ‘I just love getting my tits out!’ the latter previously exclaimed, a sentence most Europeans would take in stride, surely?
Alas, this year the nipples were put on permanent ban. ‘For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in any other area of the festival,’ the festivals new dress code read. ‘Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre are not permitted. The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.’
The controversial decision has caused a wave of commentary, some supporting the desire for modesty while others have questioned why women’s bodies are being policed in such a regressive way. This is the south of France after all, a place where few would blink at a topless woman on a beach, at a film festival where full-frontal nudity on-screen is the norm.
But new dress code or not, it appears most celebrities are ignoring it anyway – and guess what, they’re still walking the red carpet! True to form, a blonde Bella Hadid showed up all leg and side boob in Saint Laurent, while Julia Garner, French actor Galatea Bellugi, and model Frédérique Bel all opted for partially see-through dresses.
The whole no train thing didn’t quite work out either, with Heidi Klum’s Elie Saab gown taking up half the red carpet, Chinese actor Wan QianHui choosing a full tulle skirt that looks cosier than the bed of our dreams and Halle Berry opting for a Celia Kritharioti's Spring 2025 Couture collection that went beyond the realms of ‘voluminous’.
Berry had initially expressed disappointment at having to switch one of her gowns last minute due to the new dress code. ‘I had an amazing dress by Gupta to wear tonight, and I cannot wear it because the train is too big,’ Berry said in the festival’s first press conference. ‘Of course, I'm going to follow the rules, so I had to make a pivot.’
Alas, she clearly switched gears once seeing her peers bravely shun the rules. More rulebreakers also include the entire cast of Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning, who stopped on the red carpet to take a selfie, a move long prohibited at Cannes. Not only are selfies not allowed, but whipping out any phone or recording devices is banned on the red carpet.
'Only accredited photographers, present on the sides of the first part of the red carpet, will be authorized to photograph the Red Carpet Ceremony,' the charter states. 'To ensure flow during the Red Carpet Ceremony, taking personal photographs and selfies is prohibited on the red carpet.'
Christopher McQuarrie took that rule and threw it out the window then, taking a number of selfies with Greg Tarzan Davis, Angela Bassett, Tom Cruise, Tramell Tillman, Simon Pegg, Hannah Waddingham, Pom Klementieff and Esai Morales.
Go forth, liberated A-listers, we want to see all your trains, bare chests and selfie sticks fighting the good fight all festival long.