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If one event showcases fashion on the world stage, it's the Cannes Film Festival. Throughout its 73-year history, the festival, which was scheduled to begin this week only to be postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis, draws celebrities from across the globe and allows them to share their most artistic creative output. The lineup of boundary-pushing movies is matched only by the audacity of the red carpet where stars compete for attention in couture looks and strut in unapologetically risqué pieces from the runways. The Oscars may have earned their reputation for glamour, but Cannes is all about glitz. Despite the archaic dress code that requires men in tuxedos and women in high heels, anything goes—as long as it can capture the paparazzi's attention.
In the past, Cannes queens were paragons of European cinema—nothing beats Catherine Deneuve waltzing up the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès steps in head-to-toe Yves Saint Laurent, and Isabelle Huppert delights year after year. The current list has expanded to include women from all facets of the entertainment industry and corners of the globe. There are the jet-setting models (Bella Hadid sizzles whether she's wearing archival Cavalli or brand new Dior) and the Bollywood legends (Deepika Padukone consistently raises the bar for big gowns with help from Giambattista Valli and Peter Dundas). Millennial starlets too have brought new vigor to the proceedings (thank you Kristen Stewart!), breaking the rules and the internet with their style.
Here, a primer on the festival's current queens and their groundbreaking looks.
Photo: Getty Images1/12Cate Blanchett
If Hollywood were to elect one Cannes representative, it would have to be Cate Blanchett. The Australian actor's fashions are as eclectic as her filmography. Over the years, she's added zest to the event, both as festival president in 2018 and as an impeccably dressed attendee. Blanchett's appearance at the premiere of Carol in 2015 decked out in grandly gothic Giles Deacon remains one of her all-time best red carpet moments.
Photo: Getty Images2/12Fan Bingbings
If one person knows how to dazzle at the opening ceremony, it's Fan Bingbings. The Chinese movie icon's grand entrance to the festival's first night has become the stuff of legend. Her appearance in 2010 at the premiere of Robin Hood in Laurence Xu's "dragon robe" cemented her status as a Cannes innovator. The look, which now hangs in London's Victoria and Albert Museum, paid homage to Chinese culture via its interpretation of a traditional woodblock print. At the same time, its asymmetrical silhouette added a modern touch.
Photo: Getty Images3/12Monica Bellucci
No one brings sultriness like Monica Belluci. The Italian actress has become synonymous with sexiness and her stream of Dolce & Gabbana gowns at Cannes is iconic in itself. Still, Belluci keeps things interesting especially when it comes to jewelry. In 2006, Belluci made a statement in a Cartier crocodile necklace once owned by Mexican screen legend, Maria Felix.
Photo: Getty Images4/12Deepika Padukone
"Go big or go home" is the defining principle of Deepika Padukone's Cannes wardrobe. The Bollywood star is a master at pulling off gowns that require their own invitation thanks to the amount of space they take up. On anyone else, the tulle overload of lime green Giambattista Valli Haute Couture or magenta Ashi Studio with a mammoth train might be too much. Still, Padukone's enthusiasm for each over the top look is contagious.
Photo: Getty Images5/12Elle Fanning
How many Gen-Z celebrities could offer a pitch-perfect homage to Dior's New Look? Elle Fanning's stint on the Cannes Jury last year proved her commitment to high stakes style.
Photo: Getty Images6/12Bella Hadid
When you find your power color, it changes everything, and at Cannes, Bella Hadid sticks to red. The model made a splash back in 2016 in an Alexandre Vaulthier's gown with a slit that extended above the hip bone. The look made headlines around the world and set the template for Hadid's festival wardrobe. Each year since she's worn a fiery dress that gets people talking.
Photo: Getty Images7/12Araya Hargate
Some guests attend Cannes to promote their films; others are there to amp up the glamour quotient. Thai actress Araya Hargate falls strictly into the latter category. Known for her love of couture and bombastic personal style, she goes all out. A typical look involves flash—in 2019, she wore crimson Jean Paul Gaultier with tulle shoulder accents that stretched above her head to the premiere of Pride and Glory—and a vault's worth of Chopard jewelry.
Photo: Getty Images8/12Aïssa Maïga
Every time Aïssa Maïga steps onto the carpet at Cannes, she's beautifully dressed. And in 2018 the actor and her peers gave the festival its most meaningful fashion moment. Dressed in Balmain, Maïga led 16 of France's black actors in a moment of protest against racism in the French film industry.
Photo: Getty Images9/12Kristen Stewart
Always the first to kick off her heels on the red carpet, Kristen Stewart wasn't going to stick to a dress code that forbade flats. In 2018 she went barefoot at the world premiere of Blackkklansman causing a storm of press. In a silver Chanel mini-dress with her hair slicked back, Stewart was undeniably fresh, and she's brought that vibe to the festival ever since.
Photo: Getty Images10/12Isabelle Huppert
A Cannes regular since her breakthrough performance in 1975's Aloïse, Isabelle Huppert is an essential presence at the festival. As an actor, she's had more than twenty of her films screen in competition over the last four decades and served as jury president back in 2009. Each of her appearances has been marked by exquisite fashion, from lacy vintage ruffles at her first festival back in 1976 to reflective Armani Privè paillettes at the premiere of Frankie last year.
Photo: Getty Images11/12Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
When it's time to hold court at Cannes, Aiswarya Rai Bachchan does so with flourish. A fan of embellishment, Rai seeks out pieces that focus on the details—think the impressive beadwork on the cream Elie Saab number she wore at the opening ceremony back in 2011 or the Disney princess-worthy embroidery on that fantastical Michael Cinco piece from 2017.
Photo: Getty Images12/12Tilda Swinton
No explanation necessary, Swinton's Haider Ackermann and Chanel filled wardrobe speaks for itself.
