If the Met Gala has become the ultimate haute couture costume party, the Oscars the marketing opportunity for your brand and the VMAs the expression of pure sartorial identity, the Cannes Film Festival, which ends on May 28, is the tout-va oleo of all the above. It’s simply so long – 11 days – and involves so many stars of so many levels (from A-list to D-list), not to mention red carpets, gala dinners and related photo ops, that every possible permutation of dressing for the audience the eye is depicted.
But amid all the acres of Giambattista Valli tulle, Dior princess dresses and bare Peter Dundas looks; from classic tuxedos (black and white) and aviator hues, a few statement pieces and people went beyond just fabulous to offer a lesson in this special moment.
When Pierpaolo Piccioli, the creative director of Valentino, revealed Pink PP, his special shade of hot pink (named after his initials) during the last Paris Fashion Week, then decided to make practically his entire collection in this one color , the reviewer’s reaction was decidedly mixed. It was so… uh, brilliant. And all kinds of mixed together.
But the show has proven to be an unexpected hit with celebrities, who have been showcasing pieces from the collection on red carpets since April. Yet, as stylish as the looks are, celebrities have seemingly missed the fact that, given how instantly identifiable, specific, and blinding that particular color is, they all look like they’re wearing the same thing.
So in the end, it was Valentino Pink PP more than any style or even star (including Anne Hathaway, Naomi Campbell, Bérénice Bejo, Katherine Langford and many others) that it was impossible to ‘to forget.
Between the froufrou and the penguin costumes, the visual overload of the entrances can often look like main macaroons (especially after the fast of the past two years), and it’s easy to forget that Cannes is actually a resort town, complete with beach. and walk.
So it was…well, kinda easy to see celebrities embrace the seaside spirit by swapping bubble skirts and tuxedo pants for shorts. Not just any old frayed denim shorts, of course, but more black tie shorts. Still, good idea. At the top of the bill, Rossy de Palma, the president of the jury of the Caméra d’Or (which awards the prize for the best first feature film) who dressed it in a black suit-shorts during the preview , followed the next day by a similar white appearance. Cooler than a miniskirt and airier than a maxi, they gave the whole occasion a certain look.
3. Protest
The red carpet, with all the camera lenses, paparazzi and eyeballs associated with it, is traditionally a protest magnet (remember the Louis Vuitton fashion show that was crashed by a climate protester?), and the festival of this year was no exception. A activist crushed the premiere of George Miller’s ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’, stripping down to his underwear to reveal a bare chest painted in the colors of the Ukrainian flag and the message ‘stop raping us’. The lower half of her body was splattered with bloody red paint and the word “scum” (the name of a French feminist collective). Although she was quickly covered up and taken away by security, you can understand the motivation. Why waste all this attention on dresses?
4. Vintage
Delving into a brand’s archives for the shiny equivalent of the re-wear movement is becoming more and more common these days. (About time.) Case in point: Bella Hadid, in collaboration with stylist Law Roach, delivered a masterclass in the power of vintage vibes through three different Versace looks. First, she attended the screening of “The Innocent” in a 1987 hourglass black number with a giant beanbag that channeled John Singer Sargent’s “Madame X.” Then she arrived at the festival’s anniversary dinner in a hip 2001 leather dress with a plunging neckline. And she just appeared on her balcony in a corseted chiffon look from 2003. It gave new meaning to the phrase “that old thing.”
5. The “Elvis” effect
Baz Luhrmann Presley’s high-profile biopic has been making waves for a while now, so it’s no surprise that some of the king’s signatures have already influenced creators and the bold names that carry them. Pastel tuxedos, bling and jumpsuits were all present and catered for – and not just at the “Elvis” premiere. Given the critical reception, which at least praised the look of the film, this is just the start. Set your trend counters now.
Plus Best Dressed Honorable Mentions:
Anne Hathaway, who balanced grandeur with the kitsch entertainment of the Croisette in equal measure; Viola Davis, whose array of brilliant plumage made her look like a fabulous bird of paradise; and Grand Jury member Rebecca Hall, whose wardrobe looked like an entire fashion week in miniature.
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