Cannes Film Festival 2025: Debuts and a Whole Lot of Anticipation
The 2025 Cannes Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday, May 13, and while the spotlight will of course be on the films, you will be here for the fashion—especially now that Cannes has decided to tighten its red carpet dress code. No sheer dresses, no big trains.
So what can we expect when it comes to the clothes, now that half the usual suitcase suspects have been rendered useless?
The Jury
Juliette Binoche is heading up the jury this year, and if history (and nationality) tells us anything, she’ll be flying the flag for French designers. Think the likes of Dior or perhaps a dazzling moment from Balmain. Or she could pivot, as she has been wearing Spanish label Loewe recently. Halle Berry, who loves a sheer moment, may have had to rethink her red carpet game entirely—those barely-there dresses are staying in the suitcase this year. Now hemmed in by the new rules, she will likely pivot to something sultry but covered—perhaps Elie Saab.
Alba Rohrwacher will probably show up in head-to-toe Dior. She knows her fashion lane and stays in it—ethereal, slightly off-beat, but always chic. Jeremy Strong is someone I’m expecting to surprise. Traditional tailoring, yes, he is on the jury, but with an actor-y twist—deep tones, unexpected fabrics, maybe even a high-fashion flourish if we’re lucky.
High-Profile Film Premieres
As for the films, there’s a strong line-up to match the style. Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme premieres May 18, packed with a cast that reads like a best-dressed list in waiting: Benicio del Toro, Scarlett Johansson, Riz Ahmed, and Benedict Cumberbatch (who is deep in his Prada era right now). Alpha by Julia Ducournau premieres May 19, and with a cast of Golshifteh Farahani, Tahar Rahim, and Emma Mackey, I’m expecting modern minimalism.
Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague drops on May 17, and you just know Zoey Deutch will be one to watch.
Directorial Debuts
Scarlett Johansson is also making her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great on May 20, and while she gave us a Prada-fest last time she was at Cannes, I’m hoping she dials up the glamour this year instead of the “I’m director now” suit.
Harris Dickinson make his directing debut with Urchin, and I’d bet good money we’ll see a Prada/Bottega Veneta wardrobe rotation, just like last year’s Babygirl promo run at Venice Film Festival. Kristen Stewart returns with The Chronology of Water, and with the Chanel contract is still firmly intact—expect boots, cropped jackets, and at least one look that will divide opinion.
L’Oréal Paris Debut
Alia Bhatt is set to make her Cannes red carpet debut as L’Oréal Paris’ newest global ambassador. It’s a big moment in her international career, and a chance to show the world exactly what Bollywood glamour looks like on the Riviera.
Godmother
Angelina Jolie will serve as the Godmother of the Trophée Chopard, which will be presented to Marie Colomb and Finn Bennett during the Film Festival. My guess is that she’ll wear vintage, Atelier Jolie, which we anticipated for her press tour of Maria, along with Saint Laurent.
Sheer dresses may be banned, but there’s still plenty to get excited about. If anything, these new limitations might just force everyone to think a little harder—and dress a little better. Let’s see who rises to the occasion, sans see-through and sans long train.
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