The Cannes Film Festival is officially all about cinema, but it also tends to double as a high-stakes fashion endurance test with one too many cameras and not enough mercy. The opening ceremony already set the tone for what’s to come, couture seems to feel safer when it’s melting under the South of France sun. The following red carpets haven’t exactly disappointed either. Αnd with the festival’s new rule about (no) naked dressing in play, the safest strategy this year seems to be simple: just look cool. Thankfully, our favorite looks played along.
Demi Moore
Moore understands the concept of looking cool, Brad Goreski (on styling duty) seems to do so too. The actress’s Oscars look had us already waiting with anticipation. Little did we know Mariacarla Boscono’s top, seen on the Gucci Cruise runway in Times Square just two days prior, would make it all the way to the French Riviera. Satin trousers, Chopard jewelry, and a pair of pitch black, mask-ish sunglasses completed the outfit.
Cate Blanchett
Blanchett turned to Givenchy and Sarah Burton’s Fall 2026 collection for the occasion. She opted for a maxi, backless halter dress covered in florals and finished with dangling fringes. And if that already sounds like a lot, the matching Bonbon gloves push it further, fringes almost sweeping the floor with every move. Still, on Cate Blanchett, it might just be an almost bare face that holds everything together.
Chloe Zhao
Zhao might have been the best-dressed director of the scene. Our favorite look was “Isabella Blowfish,” a two-piece decorated with black horn-like details and crystals, courtesy of Schiaparelli Spring 2026 Couture. Daniel Roseberry drew inspiration from Elsa Schiaparelli’s fascination with animal life, as well as the late Isabella Blow. Straight from the runway, and already enough.
Adele Exarchopoulos
Exarchopoulos looked a lot like Zoë Kravitz, her dress did, at least. The actress chose a lace gown heavily structured around the hips, from Anthony Vaccarello’s Fall 2026 Saint Laurent collection. Kravitz’s version was already a favorite at this year’s Met Gala, but Cannes called for something slightly different: a touch of burgundy and an open back.
Camelia Jordana
Jordana went with Vaillant Studio, and Vaillant Studio went with an embroidered feathered dress from the Fall 2026 runway. Halter neck, sheer core, a little lace, volume down the waist, leather gloves, and a rose in hand belong under premiere lights. So does black with a pop of pink and red, just enough to echo the carpet beneath your feet.
Colman Domingo
What’s better than Colman Domingo on a red carpet? Colman Domingo in a Boucheron top. Purple, glittering, with a cape trailing behind, a cinched waist, and sharply structured shoulders. If there’s one thing the actor does better than suits, it’s embracing feminine touches. And by “better,” we mean this is as good as it gets.
Alton Mason
Purple had its moment this time around, rightfully so. Mason has a thing for unsuccessfully buttoned-up shirts. We might have developed a thing for purple, unsuccessfully buttoned-up shirts. Paired with blackout sunglasses that feel like they belong to another decade and high-waisted trousers, a touch of dolce vita suddenly slips into France too.
