Just one day before the rollout of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the dress code was shaken up, with a new rule in place prohibiting nudity and “voluminous gowns.” “For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet,” Cannes Film Festival officials declared in a statement, before adding that voluminous outfits, “in particular those with a large train, were also prohibited. “The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone
not respecting these rules.”
Yikes. They weren’t messing around.
It appeared to be the matter of volume – particularly the issue of long trains— wreaked havoc among celebrity stylists of the week. Early on in the week, member of the festival jury Halle Berry, revealed she had to change her attire.
“I had an amazing dress by Gupta that I cannot wear tonight because it’s too big of a train,” Halle told reporters during the Cannes jury press conference. “I’m not going to break the rules.” The Catwoman actress added that she is fine with the new restrictions, as “the nudity part is also probably a good rule.” However, Halle ended up being one of several alleged rule breakers who managed to bend the dress code over the course of the festival.
Why the new rules for the Cannes Film Festival?
Cannes issued a statement the day before the festival, giving us all a rundown on the new red carpet rules.
“This year, the Cannes Film Festival has made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect. The aim is not to regulate attire per se, but to prohibit full nudity on the red carpet, in accordance with the institutional framework of the event and French law,” the statement read.
Cannes added that it “reserves the right to deny access to individuals whose attire could obstruct the movement of other guests or complicate seating arrangements in the screening rooms.”
Trains became an issue in 2024 as they held up arriving guests and created delays in schedules, so we can see how this regulation will work in terms of practicality.
This year’s guidelines also included further details on the dress code with suggestions for “a little black dress, a cocktail dress, a dark-coloured pantsuit, a dressy top with black pants; a black or navy blue suit with bow-tie or dark-colored tie.
Shoe-wise, this year, “elegant shoes and sandals with or without a heel” are approved. This is an about-face for previous years, when Cannes film festival has prohibited women wearing flat shoes on the red carpet.
With the rules laid down thick this year and celebrities becoming more and more daring, will we see any of our favourite celebs turned away for disobeying French protocol?
Celebrities who broke Cannes Film Festival dress code
… Or did they? They certainly weren’t booted from the premises. However, we do spy a few trains and “voluminous dresses” on the red carpet…
Halle Berry
Despite ditching an early Guarav Gupta dress that didn’t fit the Cannes dress code, Halle Berry certainly played with the idea of volume in this Celia Kritharioti high-low dress.
Amal Clooney
You may not be able to see it in all its glory, but Amal Clooney donned a small train on the back of her elegant black dress by John Galliano. Nevertheless, stunning as always.
Heidi Klum
An early offender, Heidi Klum arrived for the Partir Un Jour (Leave One Day) screening in a stunning but very voluminous floral gown by Elie Saab.
Jameela Jamil
She may be a vision in seafoam green, but Jameela Jamil left quite the train of fabric in her wake…
Naomi Campbell
We question a dress code that could have kept Naomi Campbell out of this gorgeous Dolce & Gabbana gown—with its very voluminous tulle skirt.
Wan Qianhui
Chinese actress Wan Qianhui arrived in another beautiful ballgown-esque dress with very large, tulle layers.
Alessandra Ambrosio
Model Alessandra Ambrosio attended the festival in a beautiful emerald-hued gown with a train.
