You can depend on celebrities at the Cannes Film Festival to make bold fashion statements (and headlines). But this year, the biggest news out of the south of France isn’t what stars are wearing but what they’re no longer allowed to. Just 24 hours before the festival was set to open on Tuesday, a change in its dress code was spotted, per CNN. Its official website now reads, “For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the Red Carpet, as well as in any other area of the Festival.”
There’s speculation that this dress-code update was prompted by Bianca Censori appearance on the Grammys red carpet in a completely translucent dress. But revealing tulle and lace numbers have become almost de rigueur for celebrities in recent years. Hari Nef, for instance, wore a sheer Fendi look to the premiere of The Idol in 2023, while Bella Hadid has worn numerous dresses that push the bounds, including a Schiaparelli gown that left her chest covered only by a golden necklace shaped like a pair of lungs.
How exactly the rule will be enforced remains to be seen. But the change is certain to give stylists and their celebrity clients pause. We’ll be watching the red carpet to see if the dress code ushers in a new era of modesty — or rebellion.
