The 78th annual Cannes Film Festival featured a spectacular showcase of fashion, with celebrities gracing the red carpet in stunning ensembles that blend classic elegance with modern flair… writes Kanwal Toor
The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most prestigious and widely recognised film festivals in the world. It has a rich history that reflects both cinematic and political evolutions since its inception. The festival was originally conceived in the late 1930s as a response to the political manipulation of film festivals by fascist regimes, particularly the 1938 Venice Film Festival, which controversially awarded top prizes to Nazi and Fascist propaganda films.
The first actual festival was held in 1946 in the Cannes Casino, with participation from 21 countries. It was marked by enthusiasm but also by technical difficulties and limited resources. Soon, Cannes developed a reputation not just for cinematic excellence but also for celebrity culture, fashion, and global media attention.
Glamour aside, Cannes is known for discovering and legitimizing some of the most important filmmakers in history, such as Quentin Tarantino, Jane Campion, Bong Joon-ho, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
The 78th annual Cannes Film Festival featured a spectacular showcase of fashion, with celebrities gracing the red carpet in stunning ensembles that blend classic elegance with modern flair. According to Team London News Daily, here are some of the best-dressed this year.
Janhvi Kapoor in Dior Haute Couture – Making her Cannes debut, Janhvi Kapoor embraced vintage Hollywood glamour in a sophisticated Dior haute couture ensemble. Her look was widely appreciated, highlighting her rising influence in the international fashion scene.
Natalie Portman in Dior’s ‘Junon’ Replica – Natalie Portman dazzled in a replica of Christian Dior’s iconic 1949 ‘Junon’ gown. The delicate dress featured an embellished skirt resembling flower petals, making it one of the most memorable looks of the festival.
Naomi Campbell in Dolce & Gabbana – The supermodel did what she does best and served looks the entire time. How does one top an archival dress they’d debuted on the runway decades before? With a fresh couture gown featuring an intricate baroque bodice and a tulle skirt that challenges the space-saving dress code with finesse.
Jennifer Lawrence wearing Dior – The minute Jennifer Lawrence’s horror-comedy Die, My Love, was added to the Cannes Film Festival roster, fashion obsessives knew the star would light up the red carpet. Sure enough, she made her first appearance since 2023 in a stunning custom Dior gown with nods to the 1920s dress she wore for her 2019 wedding, as well as an archival 1949 Dior couture piece known as “Poulenc.” Styled by Jamie Mizrahi, the white pleated dress fell in half-circle layers resembling a stack of seashells plucked from the nearby Mediterranean Sea.
Amal Clooney wearing archival Dior – Solo Amal Clooney red carpet sightings are as rare as shooting stars. Fans of the stylish human rights lawyer’s fashions were rewarded for months without sightings when she arrived at the May 16 premiere of Bono: Stories of Surrender. She chose an archival Christian Dior gown from the John Galliano era, continuing her years-long streak of choosing vintage over custom couture
Eva Longoria wearing Elie Saab – Some stars consider crisp, all-white outfits their Cannes Film Festival essential. Eva Longoria and stylist Maeve Reilly have a more adventurous staple: bright sequins. Longoria followed her pre-carpet nude sequin dress on May 13 with an Elie Saab gown so thoroughly coated in emerald green sequins, it looked almost liquid. Paired with Wicked green earrings by Chopard, she was the gem of the Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning red carpet.
Dakota Johnson in custom Gucci – Once a Gucci girl, always a Gucci girl. For the May 19 premiere of Highest 2 Lowest, Dakota Johnson tapped the Italian house for a fringe strapless dress in a shade of peony pink. The shine from her Boucheron diamond earrings rivaled the layer of sequins glistening beneath her dress’s longline fringe.
Johnson couldn’t help swishing her gown in front of the cameras, and it was joyful to watch as she must have felt herself. So few guests at film festivals seem to have fun on the red carpet, but here, Johnson seemed to let loose.
