If you think of the most iconic outfits worn at Cannes Film Festival, who do you think of? Perhaps you think of Bella Hadid’s Schiaparelli cut-out black dress, with her chest covered by a huge golden lung necklace? Maybe one of Angelina Jolie’s incredible thigh-split dresses? Or Irina Shayk casually strolling through Cannes in semi-sheer Gucci lingerie?
As well as the film festival providing a clear indicator on the films to watch out for at awards season, the red carpet has long been known for headline-making looks from actresses and supermodels alike. And, like all of the examples above, it’s not uncommon for outfits on the red carpet to be unapologetic and body-showing; whether that’s legs out, freeing the nipple or having underwear on show, in the past anything has seemed to go.
‘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 explains. ‘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, was a moment).’ Natalie also points out Naomi Campbell rewearing 1996 Chanel last year, with ‘alternate stripes of sequins and mesh that revealed subtle flashes of skin’, as a more risqué standout moment.
But this year at Grand Théâtre Lumière there’s going to be far less flashes of skin, as ‘naked’ looks have been banned. 'For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as any other area of the festival,' states the Cannes festival website. And there’s a stern warning for those who dare try: 'The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.'
‘The “Festival-Goer’s Charter” gives the reason of “decency” as to why nudity is prohibited at Cannes, which suggests that it’s a reaction to some of the briefer gowns that have graced the red carpet in recent years,’ Natalie adds. ‘The assumption is that a modest gown means good taste and a “naked” one means bad taste, but, in my opinion, that’s not always the case and, anyway, is kind of retrograde in 2025.’
So, what impact are the rules going to have on the Croisette? ‘Presumably attendees will pay attention because the charter specifies that it will prohibit access to the red carpet for those not “respecting the rules,”’ Natalie says. Instead, as ‘more is always more at Cannes’, Natalie thinks the celebrities might rely on other methods to grab attention, like ‘sculptural tailoring that takes up space’. ‘But no matter what happens at Cannes,’ she assures, ‘naked dressing isn’t going anywhere.’
With the festival starting today, we don’t have long to wait until we can see what trends are going to dominate the red carpet, but we do already know there’s going to be a dazzling guest list. And this year a few A-list actors have also tried diversifying their CV, as Kristen Stewart, Scarlett Johansson and Harris Dickinson have all directed their own films - Eleanor the Great, The Chronology of Water and Urchin - which are running in the festival’s secondary Un Certain Regard section.
And, regardless of the dress code rules, we can’t wait to see what everyone wears.