May brings singing birds to townhouse balconies, blooming trees to city parks, traffic to local coffee shops, striped shorts to sandy beaches, and Demi Moore to the French Riviera. Which can only mean one thing: the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is here, and with it comes an alarming amount of black, sequins, and trails. Last night was the festival’s official kickoff, the opening ceremony, followed by the premiere of La Vénus Électrique (The Electric Kiss). Good thing that kiss was electric because fashion, for the most part, wasn’t. Yet, we’ll always pick and choose our favorites, not everyone spent the evening losing battles against satin.
Ikram Abdi Omar
The model arrived in head-to-toe white, pairing a long-sleeved Stella McCartney gown with Pasquale Bruni diamonds and a perfectly coordinated hijab, while a smokey eye and glossy lips completed the look.
Frédérique Bel
And where there’s white, there’s black. Bel stepped out in a sculptural Pierre Cardin dress from Fall 2024, with a coordinating hat and softly bronzed makeup. No Cannes red carpet is physically capable of operating without at least one dramatic black silhouette.
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu
Emily may be in Paris, but Sylvie has just moved further south. Leroy-Beaulieu turned to Saint Laurent, Spring 2026, to be exact. The star walked out in a voluminous purple gown, layered with ruffles and styled with Pomellato jewelry.
Ruth Negga
Negga turned to Spring colors too, lace and sparkling fringe included. The actress opted for a custom Dior evening dress, paired with toasty makeup and a natural lip, with the colors slightly shifting under the Mediterranean sun.
