The Cannes red carpet always promises to be a feast for the eyes, and its timing could not be more perfect for those of us suffering from the post Met Gala blues.
Though the starry affair kicked off on May 13 on the French Riviera, the festival made headlines in the lead up to Thursday with the sudden changes to the rules of the red carpet. This year, the festival has banned nudity for “decency reasons” and voluminous outfits that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and that complicate seating in the theatre.” The announcement sparked outrage by feminists and fashion-lovers alike. After all, a long train is to Cannes as an OTT headpiece is to the Met Gala, but most importantly it felt like yet another form of suppression of women’s expression.
The festival has seen a fair share of controversy thanks to its strict rules, from insisting on “elegant shoes” aka heels be worn on the carpet to banning selfies, but the stars still always find a way to bring sartorial drama. Already on the Cannes Film Festival 2025 red carpet, we’ve seen several stars flout the rules, with Heidi Klum leading the pack in a blooming Elie Saab number and a few cascading capes from the likes of Farhana Bodi.
While Bella Hadid, the queen of Cannes, has started off with more demure looks in simple black numbers, fans are still holding out for some ‘fits that would rival that gilded “lung” dress by Schiaparelli a few years back.
The annual Cannes Film Festival premieres films of all genres and draws a particularly star-studded crowd from the world’s top actors, models, musicians and celebrity personalities nightly.
This year’s jury includes President Juliette Binoche, Jeremy Strong, Halle Berry, Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher, Korean filmmaker Hong Sangsoo, Congolese director Diedo Hamadi, Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas, and French Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani.
From Halle Berry’s chic stripes to Alessandra Ambrosio’s green goddess gown, these are the best Cannes Film Festival 2025 red carpet looks already making a statement.
For more fashion content, see fashion editor Rosana Lai’s articles on GLAMOUR UK, or follow her on Instagram @rosie.lai.