Nude and 'Voluminous' Cannes Red Carpet Looks From Past Years That Would Violate New Dress Code
The Cannes Film Festival and its iconic red carpet are officially open for business. And aside from the shadow of President Donald Trump looming large over this year's festivities, the buzziest story to emerge so far this week has been the fest's new red carpet dress code.
On the eve of this year's opening ceremony, a Cannes rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the festival updated its charter to ban full nudity and 'voluminous outfits,' especially those with a large train, that 'hinder the flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theater.' The fest spokesperson clarified that the dress code is not meant to regulate attire 'per se,' but that it did get refreshed to reflect certain rules 'that have long been in effect.'
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While that may be true, enforcement has definitely been, well, questionable. A quick scan of the Getty archives reveals no shortage of revealing and unruly ensembles, exposed nipples and derrieres and wildly long trains dating back decades.
In 1988, Italian actress Ilona Staller (who also worked as a porn star and politician) walked the red carpet in a barely-there dress that fully exposed her breasts. In recent years, Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner have also worn sheer dresses that left little to the imagination on their respective torsos. But film talent, models and brand ambassadors (especially those representing festival sponsors like L'Oreal, Kering and Chopard) have long operated with looser fashion restrictions than regular festival attendees who must adhere to black-tie and evening wear requirements.
Longtime festival chief Thierry Frémaux has yet to comment on the updated dress code but he's known to keep it strict when it comes to festival integrity. (Remember when he called selfies ridiculous and grotesque?) Also known to keep it strict? Palais security guards who will definitely be on guard this year to turn away anyone who turns up nude or with a gown now deemed too wild, per the new rules: 'The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.'
Halle Berry and her styling team reacted swiftly to the new policy as the Oscar winner confirmed during the official jury press conference on Tuesday that she pivoted away from a gown she had planned to wear to Tuesday night's opening ceremony. 'I had an amazing dress…to wear tonight, and I cannot wear because the train is too big,' she said in front of the international press while joined by her fellow jury members like Jeremy Strong. 'So I, of course, am going to follow the rules. I had to make a pivot, but the nudity part, I do think is probably also a good rule.'
To gauge how the news is traveling overseas, THR checked in with rising fashion influencer and TikTok star Nicky Campbell. 'Cannes maintains a highly esteemed, and rigid, vision of themselves. eleventh hour mandate impacts, most concerningly, the A list talent — and brand sponsors who pay for many to attend — and their styling teams who have been preparing carpet looks for weeks,' Campbell says. 'This ban could cause a frenzy and many last-minute changes, garment sourcing, and labor to ensure that talent arrive carpet ready and avoid any potential dismissal. I would be having a panic attack.'
Fashion insider and veteran executive Tosha Hays released a statement through a rep that states she is in support of the policy, adding that in today's attention-driven economy, less isn't always more. 'I support the Cannes 'naked dress' ban, not as a rejection of bold fashion, but as a statement about the cultural moment we're in,' explains Hays, whose resumé includes tenures at Venus Fashion and Spanx. 'The red carpet has become less about style and more about algorithms. We've traded storytelling for spectacle. This isn't about modesty, it's about meaning.'
Since meaning can always be found through examining history, THR compiled some photographic evidence of a sampling of the most sheer and most voluminous gowns to hit the Cannes red carpet in previous years. But first a warning: Some of the images contain partial nudity.
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