While discussions about the Met Gala and the upcoming cruise shows make the rounds, the fashion world has put them on the back burner for now and has set sail for the South of France for the Cannes Film Festival. 12 days of screenings, standing ovations, and, of course, glamorous dressing. With the world’s most notable cinema stars, models, and socialites all in one place, it’s only natural that the red carpet is a feast for beauty and fashion. We break down the trends we’ve spotted so far, as well as our favourite looks.
A Moment for Modest Fashion
Last year, the Cannes Film Festival issued new protocols for its dress code. It included banning any transparent dresses or “naked dresses”, long trains, and ultra-voluminous silhouettes. As such, the guests for this year have adjusted their silhouettes accordingly and now, we have more modest-friendly gowns taking the spotlight.
One of those that we cannot ignore is Ikram Abdi Omar, who stepped in a Stella McCartney Fall 2025 gown paired with Pasquale Bruni jewellery and hijab to match.
Another fun look was Monia Chokri, who donned a simple black and white ensemble, a custom Prada piece. The lace scarf detail around makes for a new way to style the trend and gave way to a clean contracting look not only between the colours, but between sequinned and silk.
The Slick Back Bun Returns
But really, has it ever left? Whether it’s models on the runway or actresses on the red carpet, everyone’s a fan of a slick bun that puts your hair in one place and leaves behind a classy, confident aura.
Maika Monroe paired hers with a silver sequin Ashi Studio gown and Pasquale Bruni jewellery. Whereas Caroline Daur paired her slick back bun with a Spring 2026 dress by Roksanda. Dubai Bling’s Farhana Bodi was also seen sporting the bun, in a sculptural Atelier Zuhra gown, complementing her look.
Curly Bobs
An alternative to the slick back bun on the red carpet was a bob, cropped short and curled away from the face. Maura Higgins took hers to pixie territory paired with a gown from Andrew Kwon’s Fall 2023 collection. Whereas Jane Fonda had hers in small layers framing her face. She paired her bob with a head-to-toe black sequinned gown, a custom Gucci piece that looked like rich black metal on the actress.
The Kohl Eyed Comeback
As we predicted, kohl-lined eyes make a big splash across the Cannes red carpet. Actress Izabel Pakzad had hers in a small thin line, emphasising her blue eyes, and so did Poppy Delevingne, who scaled down her makeup to allow her vintage John Galliano gown to shine.
Little Voluminous Details
Since too voluminous gowns and dresses were banned, we saw stars this year amp up the volume in little details. That meant balloon sleeves or a ruffle train, opulent dressing still didn’t lose its playful movement.
We see this especially in Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, who stepped on the red carpet in a Saint Laurent SS26 runway gown. Though not as big as seen on the runway, it was still full of volume. Whereas filmmaker Angele Diabang came in a green cape-style gown that mushroomed at the top, leaving behind a playful silhouette.
Little Wings
Winged eyeliner is not getting the best press right now. Touted as “outdated”, those on the red carpet showcased that wings are anything but! Maura Higgins had hers to elongate her eyes, which further complemented her icy eyeshadow. Whereas Uma Jammeh had hers softly diffused into a smoky eye, paired with a silver sequinned and tasselled Naja Saade dress. Actress Alia Bhatt also had hers in little wings, paired alongside a custom Tamara Ralph gown.
A Subtle Return of Nude Lips
Another trend we didn’t see coming back was nude lips. With tinted balms and lip oils all the rage now, a diffused nude lip sounds like a 180. But if the Cannes red carpet (and the 2026 Met Gala!) has anything to say, it is that nude lips will continue to stay, further adding to the natural makeup looks celebrities have been sporting nowadays.
Model Heidi Klum had her lips as natural as they come. Paired with a pale yellow Elie Saab gown, her look was effortlessly neutral. Whereas Kimberley Garner wore a light pink nude that complemented her floral couture gown by Galia Lahav. And French actress Ludivine Sagnier went a similar route, leaving her skin to look as natural as possible with a deeper nude lip taking centre stage.
Sequins All Over the Carpet
Compared to the standard cocktail dress that’s expected at the Cannes Film Festival, many stars went the embellished route instead, giving us strong looks in sequins. Maika Monroe and Jane Fonda both allowed sequins to give them a liquid sheen on the carpet, while Kelly Rutherford had hers sparkle like stars in a Giorgio Armani Fall 2019 gown. Other notable looks were Demi Moore in a custom Jacquemus and Raya Abirached in Maison Yeya Fall 2025 Couture.
Iconic Arab Fashion
The Cannes Film Festival has also seen Arab celebrities and the best of Arab fashion on display. Drama in the form of elegant, feminine silhouettes and couture-level tailoring is what we expect in Arab, and that’s exactly what they bought for Cannes. Actress Yasmine Sabri repped two Arab designers, a couture gown by Syrian designer Rami Al Ali and a pale green dress by Lebanese maison Geyanna Youness.
Whereas Laila Ahmed Zaher was seen in a white and pink custom gown by Rami Kadi, a piece that revealed the actress’s baby bump and gender reveal. She paired the look with Chopard jewellery, all of course, in rich shades of pink.
French-Haitian singer Naïka was also seen in a Rami Kadi gown, a bronze strapless piece from the maision’s “Elementa” collection. The dress features a white, almost scale-like bodice and a tasselled, tiered skirt. Actress Jennifer Azar and model Maya Aboul Hosn both donned striking gowns by Nicolas Jebran. Hosn’s was a deep red that matched the carpet itself, featuring intricately embroidered crystals and an elegant diamond set from Mouawad. While Azar’s was a crisp white that pulled to the side, revealing a natural drape.
And finally, we cannot skip Arab representation without mentioning Bella Hadid. While she donned a custom Prada gown on the red carpet, she initially arrived at her first Cannes appearance in a vintage Elie Saab Spring 2003 Couture.
Moments in Red
While red, along with other vivid hues, is the unofficial colour of the year, it’s hard to make a red look work among a red carpet without blending in. But that didn’t stop a select few who continued to make the red carpet their own with a red gown.
Demi Moore and Isabelle Huppert both appeared in custom Gucci. While both were in red gowns, the textures and silhouettes of them were so vastly different, it still made for a striking look. Moore’s sculptural piece looked like fabric snapped frozen in time, with creases and wrinkles to prove its movement. Whereas Huppert had hers intricately pleated, which fell into a train. Paired with matching opera gloves and Chopard jewellery, it was one of the coolest modest looks of the night. Kristen Stewart made her red moment with a Chanel Fall 2026 dress. Paired with her shaggy bob, the red and black pattern makes for one of the quirkier looks. While Simone Ashley goes in the elegant direction in a vintage Alexander McQueen gown.
Masculine Styles
This year, we saw plenty of women trade in the signature Cannes gown for a stylish suit or a laid-back masculine style. This is especially prevalent for Cara Delevingne, who was seen in a pinstripe Tom Ford suit and a leather suit by Simkhai. Actress Odessa A’zion pulled up in Dior menswear, and so did French actress Mélanie Thierry, who wore a striped collared shirt and tie with jeans. And so did Barbara Palvin, who wore a custom Karl Lagerfeld two-piece look. The collared shirt featured a white satin bib and a tiny ‘Karl’ inscription on the side. Whereas the shirt flowed into a dramatic train.
