12-05-2025
Cannes Film Festival Bans Naked Dresses From Red Carpet
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Cannes Film Festival has updated its dress code, banning nudity along with voluminous dresses and those with long trains, citing "decency" and "efficiency."
Newsweek reached out to the Cannes Film Festival via an online contact form for comment on Monday.
Why It Matters
Designers may have to rethink outfits built on the suggestion nudity to be sure not to fall foul of the new rules.
L: Bella Hadid attends the "Tre Piani (Three Floors)" screening during the 74th annual Cannes Film Festival on July 11, 2021 in Cannes, France, R: Irina Shayk is seen at the Hotel Martinez during the...
L: Bella Hadid attends the "Tre Piani (Three Floors)" screening during the 74th annual Cannes Film Festival on July 11, 2021 in Cannes, France, R: Irina Shayk is seen at the Hotel Martinez during the 76th Cannes film festival on May 22, 2023 in Cannes, France. More
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Arnold Jerocki/GC Images
What To Know
The so-called naked dress has been a main stay in the fashion lexicon since Marily Monroe donned a version of the gown to sing happy birthday to President John F. Kennedy in Madison Square Garden in 1962.
The move from the festival comes shortly after a controversial appearance from Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori at the 2025 Grammy Awards, where Censori wore nothing but a sheer stocking over her naked body, with the appearance sparking concerns for her welfare and the dynamics of the pairs relationship.
The 78th edition of the festival will commence tomorrow, and it's set to be a more demure red carpet, something which could spell Quelle Horreur for A-listers and the fash-pack, with the likes of Bella Hadid having donned the barely-there gown on the Cannes red carpet in past years.
The new dress code now states that "For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in any other area of the festival."
And the festival is addressing outfits that hold too much space too. It continued, "Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre are not permitted. The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules."
Additionally, tote bags, backpacks and large bags have also been prohibited.
It's not the first time that the film festivals red carpet rules have hit the headlines, with the BBCreporting in 2015 that women wearing flat shows were being turned away.
Organisers told the outlet at the time, "Rules have not changed throughout the years (tuxedo, formal dress for gala screenings) and there is no specific mention about the height of the women's heels as well as for men's."
And the fashion rules continue to trend, with organizers and attendees left trying to keep up in a Depeche Mode world.
What People Are Saying
Louis Pisano, a fashion journalist writing on Instagram: "wake up babe, new Cannes dress code just dropped. Thoughts and prayers to all the stylists !"
Camille Charriere, a writer and fashion personality, responding to Pisano on Instagram: "rules are meant to be broken. but in my (humble) opinion only someone who has deserved a spot on that carpet should be breakin them rules. if meryl or cate want to show up in a naked ball gown so be it... the rest of us can do what we are told and support the movie business without making it all about us."
What Happens Next
The 78th Cannes Film Festival commence May 13.
