Cannes Through the Years: A History of Fashion, Film, and Glamour

A timeless journey through the most iconic fashion moments at the Cannes Film Festival where style, cinema, and spectacle collide on the Riviera

Credit: @Festival de Cannes

Beneath the golden sun of the French Riviera, a red carpet unfurls along the steps of the Palais des Festivals. Cameras flash. Gowns sweep the floor. And for a few days each spring, Cannes becomes something more than a film festival. It becomes a global stage where cinema meets fashion in its most spectacular form.

Since its founding in 1946, the Cannes Film Festival has stood for more than cinematic excellence. It is a symbol of elegance, excess, and image. A place where artistry is as visible in the stitching of a gown as in the storytelling of a film. At Cannes, what someone wears is never just about the clothes. It is about making a statement. Creating an image. Becoming part of history.

Let’s take a journey through the decades and discover how fashion at Cannes has mirrored the cultural shifts of its time and in many ways, led them.

The Origins of Glamour: 1940s to 1960s

In the early years after World War II, the world was hungry for beauty. And Cannes delivered. The red carpet became a place where Old Hollywood elegance met European sophistication. The silhouettes were soft and feminine. Think full skirts, satin gloves, and pearls that caught the light just so.

Grace Kelly stepped onto the carpet in 1955, just before becoming a real-life princess. Her polished presence, often in Dior and Givenchy, captured the imagination of millions.

Brigitte Bardot, with her tousled hair and off-the-shoulder dresses, brought a sensual energy to the Croisette, helping to shape the image of the modern French starlet.

Cannes in this era was about fantasy and fashion played a key role in building those images.

The Spirit of Rebellion: 1970s to 1980s

By the 1970s, the mood at Cannes began to shift. Fashion loosened up. The gowns became more relaxed, the styling more personal. You could feel the cultural changes reflected on the red carpet.

Jane Birkin famously arrived with her now-iconic wicker basket, wearing barely there slip dresses that were as effortless as they were provocative. Charlotte Rampling and others embraced an undone glamour that felt more natural than staged.

This was the era when fashion at Cannes began to move from studio polish to personal style. Designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Halston dressed the stars, but the power was in how they wore it with ease, with individuality, and often with a touch of rebellion.

The red carpet was still glamorous, but now it felt freer. Less choreographed. More like real life, with a very expensive filter.

Grace Kelly and Brigette Bardot at Cannes Festival in 1954 and 1956. Credits: @Elle Magazine FR & @Journal de Femmes

The Supermodel and Superbrand Era: 1990s

The 1990s brought a return to high glamour, but now it came with brand names and supermodels. Cannes became a playground for fashion houses like Versace, Dior, and Chanel, who understood the power of dressing stars in front of global cameras.

Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Claudia Schiffer glided down the red carpet like it was a runway because, in many ways, it was. The boundary between fashion week and film festival began to blur.

Sharon Stone, already a household name from her films, became a red carpet icon in her own right, often styling herself and working directly with designers to create unforgettable looks. Her daring choices helped shift Cannes into a place where fashion risks were not only accepted but expected.

This was also the rise of the fashion press as red carpet authority. Suddenly, everyone cared about who wore what, not just the fashion magazines, but the front pages.

The Statement Era: 2000s to 2010s

By the early 2000s, fashion at Cannes had fully embraced its place in the cultural conversation. Celebrities no longer just wore gowns, they made statements.

The role of the celebrity stylist became crucial. Red carpet appearances were now part of a larger strategy, tied to image, press, and branding. Gowns were carefully chosen to create impact especially in the age of digital media.

Aishwarya Rai’s 2014 Roberto Cavalli gown shimmered across the headlines. Bella Hadid’s 2016 red Alexandre Vauthier dress, cut dramatically to the hip, practically broke the internet. These were viral fashion moments before the term had even settled into our vocabulary.

Cannes fashion now lived across platforms. It wasn’t just for photographers at the Croisette. It was for Instagram, for blogs, for YouTube recaps and TikTok reels. And with that came bold colors, sculptural silhouettes, and risks that paid off in attention.

Fashion became part of the story of Cannes itself.

Kate Moss in 1997, Naomi Campbell in 1998 & Sharon Stone in 1995. Credits: @Vogue & @PurplePeople

Fashion as Activism and Art: 2020s to Now

In recent years, Cannes has become a place where fashion pushes conversations forward. The red carpet is still glamorous, but it's no longer just about beauty. It's about identity, representation, and creative freedom.

Actors like Tilda Swinton show up in gender-fluid looks that defy traditional elegance. Viola Davis wears bold color and structure that celebrates power and presence. Kristen Stewart, known for subverting fashion norms, wears everything from couture gowns to shorts and boots. 

Designers are now thinking beyond the dress. They are creating wearable art, political statements, and moments that linger in the public memory. Transparency, metallics, sheer structures, and avant-garde shapes now stand beside classic silhouettes. It’s no longer about one look. It’s about making the moment yours.

Inclusivity has also come to the forefront. Casting is more diverse. Designers from around the world are represented. And the red carpet has become a space to reflect the global, ever-changing face of fashion.

Beyond the Red Carpet

Fashion at Cannes doesn’t begin and end with premieres. The photocalls, press junkets, hotel balconies, and afterparties have become unofficial runways of their own. Stars change outfits multiple times a day. Fashion houses host private fittings and glam suites.

Events like the amfAR Gala, Chopard dinners, and even Dior’s beach presentations have become extensions of the festival’s visual identity.

At every turn, someone is making a fashion choice even if it’s a simple linen shirt paired with diamond earrings. And every moment is documented.

Bella Hadid in Schiaparelli

Credit: @Harper’s Bazaar

What Makes Cannes Fashion So Unique?

Unlike the Oscars, which lean toward traditional glamour, or the Met Gala, which invites theatricality, Cannes holds a different kind of magic. It’s romantic. Sun-drenched. Timeless.

There are dress codes to be respected, but also a level of freedom not found at other events. The backdrop — Mediterranean skies, palm trees, evening light — lends itself to fashion that breathes. That moves. That transforms.

At Cannes, glamour means grace, not just sparkle. And style is not about following trends, but about writing your own visual story.

Cannes Fashion: A Living Archive

Cannes is not just a place to watch fashion. It’s where fashion makes history. Every gown, every tuxedo, every barefoot walk up the steps becomes part of a larger cultural archive.

It’s about more than what someone wore. It’s about how they wore it and what it meant at that moment.

Cannes reminds us that fashion can do what film does so well: stir feelings, spark conversation, and stay with us long after the curtain falls.

Because when the right person wears the right look on those famous steps, we don’t just see fashion. We see magic.

Cannes 2025: A New Era of Cinematic Style

Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler at Cannes Festival 2025. Credit: @People Magazine

As the 2025 Cannes Film Festival unfolded on the French Riviera, it reminded the world once again why this event continues to captivate audiences far beyond the film industry. This year’s edition was more than just a celebration of cinema, it was a reflection of where culture, fashion, and identity are headed next.

The red carpet in 2025 felt like a living mood board of contrasts: elegance met rebellion, tradition mingled with experimentation, and timeless glamour walked alongside cutting-edge style. The usual silhouettes were reimagined with a sense of freedom and expression. Dramatic capes, sculptural tailoring, vintage references, and forward-thinking minimalism all found a place on the famed Palais steps.

This year also placed a spotlight on sustainable fashion and emerging designers. More celebrities collaborated with ethical labels, vintage houses, and upcycled couture ateliers proving that glamour and responsibility no longer stand at odds. There was a shift in narrative: fashion at Cannes in 2025 wasn't just about being seen, it was about saying something.

Off the carpet, fashion continued to shine through the festival’s famed afterparties, press events, and intimate photo calls. Dior returned to the beach with an immersive runway-meets-installation moment. Chopard debuted a new high jewelry collection inspired by 1970s Riviera opulence. And the amfAR Gala once again fused style with philanthropy in unforgettable ways.

If anything, Cannes 2025 confirmed what long-time observers already know: the festival is not simply a showcase of film or fashion, it’s a place where image, identity, and intention come together. It’s where stars are styled like sculptures, where clothing becomes conversation, and where moments made under the Riviera sun often live on far longer than the films themselves.