The 78th Cannes Film Festival aired last night, and while the focus is meant to be on the films, the red carpet fashion—and the controversy surrounding it- is capturing global attention.
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The glamour of the French Riviera hasn’t dimmed, but this year, stars are being asked to sparkle a little differently. Just hours before opening night, festival organisers rolled out a stricter dress code, banning full nudity and excessively voluminous garments, particularly gowns with long, trailing trains.
Halle Berry forced to change her look
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
One of the first to feel the impact was Oscar-winner Halle Berry, who is serving on this year’s competition jury. Speaking during a press conference, Berry revealed that she had to abandon her original outfit for the evening — a dramatic gown by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta.
“I had an amazing dress by Gupta that I cannot wear tonight because it’s too big of a train,” she said. “I’m not going to break the rules.” On the nudity clause, she added, “The nudity part is also probably a good rule.”
The Cannes Film Festival later issued a statement clarifying that the changes were in accordance with French law, aimed not at policing personal style but at ensuring the smooth flow of guests and avoiding safety risks in screening venues.
Fashion rebels and refined glamour
While some stars played by the rules, others took a more rebellious approach. Supermodel Heidi Klum and Chinese actress Wan QianHui were among the first to defy the ban, stepping out in eye-catching gowns with bold, cascading trains, turning heads and raising eyebrows.
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Still, the red carpet had no shortage of high fashion moments that played within the new parameters. Bella Hadid made a striking return in a slinky Saint Laurent number and debuted her new honey-blonde locks, while Succession star Jeremy Strong leaned into unconventional menswear with a dusty rose tuxedo — and was later seen sporting a matching pink tracksuit and bucket hat during the Jury photocall.
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
A new era of red carpet style?
With the dress code drawing global headlines, many are wondering whether Cannes is entering a more refined era of red carpet style, or simply creating new boundaries for designers and celebrities to creatively push against.
Either way, the fashion conversation has become as anticipated as the Palme d’Or itself. As the 12-day celebration of film and fashion continues, all eyes remain fixed on who will dazzle, who will defy, and who might show up with a slightly shorter train than planned.
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Featured Image: Getty
