Cannes 2025 'Decency' Dress Code Robs Film Festival Of Its Identity, Or Are The New Rules Justified?

Cannes 2025: For those not part of the film connoisseur circle, the Festival de Cannes, now in its 78th edition, is largely a social event and a fashion parade. Frankly, the red carpet of the Le Palais has been talked about more for its show-stopping fashion moments than the movie premieres held across the two-week-long festival. Think of it: The red carpet is its mainstay, and fashion on it is what gets the event its eyeballs. 

With a new dress code in place, will Cannes be robbed of its identity?

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Cannes Film Festival: Era-defining fashion

Cannes is one of the most glamorous events in the world. The red carpet has been graced by style icons over the decades, and it continues to attract some of the most fashionable and popular names in the industry. As the shutter goes "click", the glam gets frozen in time. Over the years, the annual gathering on the French Riviera has created many a fashionable moment. But how many of them will be this year?

The nudity and “excessively voluminous” clothing are not welcome on the red carpet this year, the festival organising committee shared, as it made some changes to the dress code for the 78th edition of Cannes, beginning May 13. "Nudity on the red carpet" and “voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theater" are not permitted.

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In the past, "skin show" by Bella Hadid, Naomi Campbell and Kendall Jenner has often become the highlight at Cannes, much more than the films showcased.

The Cannes fashion history

From classy to wacky, bold and risque, Cannes fashion has evolved over the years. And who could forget the traffic-stopping trains? Modest dressing, in the early edition of Cannes included white gloves and sequins, power suits, flowy dresses and gowns. The red carpet trend saw a bold makeover when Madonna wore her Jean-Paul Gaultier underwear as outerwear at the screening of her movie In Bed with Madonna in 1991. 

Sharon Stone, by then popular for her femme fatale look in Basic Instinct, created an iconic Cannes moment in 1995 by opening up her Valentino gown to reveal a sequin playsuit. These and some more were the early beginnings of Cannes goers adopting bolder fashion choices, a break from what once was. Naturally, the talk shifted from the movies to the red carpet.

Over the last decade, the Cannes fashion has fully transformed. Trains and naked, bold dresses have become the mainstay. Cameron Diaz, Irina Shayk, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski have gifted the film festival some of its most risqué red-carpet looks to date. Cannes veteran Aishwarya Rai has been famous for effortlessly donning outrageously long train outfits at Cannes.

Internet divided over Cannes dress code

The internet seems divided over the Cannes dress code. While some said that there would be some relief from "nudity" on the red carpet, others said that it robs the film festival of its essence. "We don’t need to see any rapper’s wives fully nude," commented one, while another one said, "Cannes is doing sumptuary laws. Insane."

While nudity was never previously endorsed at the festival, still, skin has often been flashed. It will be interesting to see if more conservative looks at Cannes will be served or if rules are flouted.