A History Of Fashion At The Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival is an annual film festival taking place in Cannes, in the south of France, an area known for its glitz and glamour. The festival began in 1946 and, up until 2003, was called the International Film Festival. It’s a hotspot for those interested in the art and influence of cinema, previewing films of all genres from all around the world by invitation only and attracting a host of A List celebs.

Here are some of the best celebrity looks from over the years:

Elizabeth Taylor, 1957

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Accompanying her husband, Richard Burton, the actress wore this beautiful Bardot dress, accessorising with a diamond brooch, diamond earrings, and a crown.

Jane Fonda, 1978

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The beloved actress looked timeless in this tailored outfit. She paired a summery white shirt with a white linen suit, layering on a beige linen blazer and completing the look with brown leather sandal wedges.

Princess Diana, 1987

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For the 40th Cannes Film Festival, Princess Diana walked the red carpet wearing this iconic Catherine Walker baby blue tulle dress and scarf. The dress was inspired by Grace Kelly’s character in the Hitchcock film To Catch a Thief. She complemented the colour with different shades of blue stones in her rings, earrings, and bracelet.

Madonna, 1991

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While the idea of wearing lingerie on the red carpet is hardly scandalous in 2023, it was Madonna who helped pave the way for trends like wearing no pants and naked dresses. Thanks to the help of Jean-Paul Gualtier, Madonna and her cone bra took over the Cannes red carpet for a screening of her own film, In Bed with Madonna.

Paris Hilton, 2001

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For AmfAR’s Cinema Against Aids benefit in 2001, Paris wore this backless low-rise halter dress with diamond embellishments spelling out different celebrities’ autographs. To match, she wore a bedazzled beret, stacked diamond jewellery, and body gems. She also had diamantés on her eyes and went for an old Hollywood makeup look with a red lip, winged liner, and beauty mark.

Angelina Jolie, 2008

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On the red carpet for the premiere of Kung Fu Panda with her ex-husband Brad Pitt, the actress wore this stunning moss green flowing gown from Max Azria to show off her bump.

Lana Del Rey, 2012

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Prior to her performance at the 2012 festival, Lana walked the red carpet at the premiere of Moonrise Kingdom, wearing this elegant little black dress from the Alberta Ferretti FW12 collection. She added a casual 18-carat white gold necklace to tie the look together.

Dianne Kruger, 2012

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Diane Kruger went all out in this dress from the Dior spring 2012 couture collection. The monochrome checkered ball gown was sleeveless and featured black lace embroidery details. She went for natural makeup with winged liner and her hair slicked back, ensuring all eyes were on the dress.

Jessica Biel, 2013

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Jessica Biel looked elegant in this appliquéd strapless floral dress. The mid-length dress, by Marchesa, featured a feathered hem, and she styled it with a Bulgari Serpenti necklace, a bedazzled clutch, and nude heels.

Lupita Nyong’o, 2015

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Green is a colour that few people can pull off, but Lupita owned it. This green Gucci number featured pleated chiffon, a cape, and hand-painted embroidered flowers. She made sure we got to see it from every angle as she twirled on the red carpet.

Charlize Theron, 2015

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All eyes were on Charlize Theron in this bright canary yellow strapless silk gown. The slim-fitting bustier dress, from Christian Dior, featured a long tulle train and showed off her figure perfectly.

Bella Hadid, 2016

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Of course, Bella’s iconic red dress had to be featured on this list. Bella stunned everyone in 2016 with this red Alexander Vauthier dress that fit her like a glove. The silk v-neck dress featured spaghetti straps, a cinched waist, and an extremely high leg slit. She paired it with minimal jewellery and classic black strappy heels.

Aishwarya Rai, 2017

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No stranger to a show-stopping dress, Indian actress Aishwarya looked like an actual princess in this dress at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, leading to it being nicknamed the Cinderella dress. The off-the-shoulder gown, by Michael Cinco Couture, featured a dramatically huge tulle skirt and dainty leaf embroidery to add detail to the icy blue body.

Isabelle Huppert, 2022

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The French actress put a spin on the timeless and elegant looks traditionally seen at the festival, instead opting for this bold green morph suit dress from Balenciaga. It was a Marmite situation for the actress, with some people loving it and some hating it. We think it’s super cool and edgy, and more power to her for going against the norm!

We can’t wait to see what everyone will be wearing this year!

_{Words by Lucy Walshe}

^{Header Image by Samir Hussein}