The Coolest Looks At The Cannes Film Festival, From Bella Hadid To Demi Moore

Stars express themselves in the South of France in headline-grabbing looks, showing the power of fashion.

Compiling this column on a Friday, it’s quite nice to zoom in on a singular event — as was the case last week and today — rather than scanning every event, front row, talk-show couch and pap walk that took place. And Cannes is underway! The event has a long history of glamour, and attendees tend to dial up the fashion for the festival’s expansive red carpet. Risks are made, though not always successfully, and then there are the daytime events, necessitating wardrobes that span a range of dress codes. And with a swathe of excellent films premiering at the festival, including The Substance, Mad Max: A Furiosa Saga and Megalopolis, we’ve seen some big names and even bigger, bolder looks.

Bella Hadid

Headline-grabbing Cannes looks aren’t reserved for the red carpet or conference tables. Ever since Brigitte Bardot paraded on the beach in a bikini in 1953, the French town’s historic Promenade de la Croisette and adjacent seaside have provided a scenic backdrop for stars to court the press. Bella Hadid, whose wardrobe has dominated much of the off-schedule coverage since arriving at the festival, took to the Croissette this week, wearing an archival dress by Michael and Hushi. First released in 2001, NY Mag’s fashion vertical The Cut notes that designers Michael Sears and Hushi Mortezaie drew inspiration from shemagh scarf, similar to a keffiyeh, and both are traditional Arabic garments (Bella’s father, Mohamed Hadid, is Palestinian). A Michael and Hushi halter top of a similar design was worn by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and The City, adds Vogue in their explainer of Hadid’s outfit.

Michelle Yeoh

She never puts a foot wrong, and not many stars can look this laidback festooned with jewellery and not one but two watches. The dress is Bottega Veneta, and it’s nice to see Matthieu Blazy’s usually understated (but expensive) designs glammed up a bit.

Hunter Schafer

Crisp and coquette-ish, there’s a naughty frau feel to this look. It’s custom Prada (of course it is) inspired by a 2010 look, styled by Dara Allen.

Yseult

A radically chic look on French singer and model Yseult at the premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s self-funded Megalopolis, styled by Jonathan Huguet, who shows how impactful pose and choreography can be on the red carpet. It’s Dior couture, a recreation of the legendary bar jacket look that was part of Christian Dior’s historic, industry-redefining New Look collection in 1947. At the time it was criticised (to the point of drawing protests) for being restrictive – the silhouette required corsetry and padding – and it’s since come to represent fashion tradition and a prescriptive beauty standard: poised, slim, elegant, controlled. Now, more than half a century later, to see it worn by Yseult, is historic too. A new look indeed.

Greta Gerwig

Gorgeous, on theme, and fitting of jury president Greta Gerwig. This long-awaited Barbie-core moment, styled by Karla Welch, Balenciaga Haute Couture.

Rawdah Mohamed

A fabulous ensemble on model Rawdah Mohamed — sharp, operatic and sumptuous — who worked with Amar Faiz on the look. The outfit was created Cecilie Bratsberg Melli and a team of students from ESMOD Oslo (inspired by vintage Dior) and tailored by Karen Chinchilla, who works with stars like Chris Hemsworth. The hat is Mona Strand.

Margaret Qualley

There’s an Eloise at the Plaza quality to this that I love, and the youthfulness is fitting given the plot of The Substance, which Margaret is promoting at the festival with co-star Demi Moore (she’s also there for Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness). This particular look is by Chanel. Though the brand’s apparently selling well at retail, Virginie Viard’s work for the luxury house doesn’t always land on the red carpet. On Margaret — who walked in its Paris Fashion Week show earlier this year — it consistently works, so too does her working relationship with stylist Patricia Villirillo. Oh and a note on the shoes: they’re awkward and perfect.

Cate Blanchett

Stunning, no notes. It’s Haider Ackermann for Jean Paul Gaultier.

Winnie Harlow

Opulent! This luxurious look is by Australian designer Tamara Ralph, styled by Sarah Edmiston and Jazmine Gandhi, and savvily subverts some of the core tropes of traditional French style, tweed and pearls.

Lily Gladstone

The festival has seen some excellent outfits from Cannes jury member Lily Gladstone, and she showed a continued affinity with the colour red. This is a custom look from New York brand Markarian, designed by Alexandra O’Neill.

Demi Moore

Moore by name, more by nature. Demi has the ability to tap into an old Hollywood essence and the perennial cool of the brat pack, and there are notes of both here, in this sculptural Schiaparelli gown by Daniel Roseberry, styled Brad Goreski.

Alexa Chung

More Jean Paul Gaultier — there should always be a bit of JPG at Cannes — and this one is by Simone Rocha, with Alexa Chung publically delighting in her “horny dress”.

Emma Gleason is the deputy editor of lifestyle and entertainment (audience), and has worked on Viva for over four years, contributing stories on culture, fashion and what’s going on in Auckland. Recently she’s looked at Mindful Fashion’s groundbreaking report on the fashion industry, a good upcoming gig, and Auckland Central Library’s snapshot of New Zealand style.

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