Penelope Cruz Wore Georges Chakra Couture To The Cannes Film Festival Closing Ceremony

Penelope Cruz attended the closing ceremony of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, stepping onto the red carpet in something genuinely unexpected.

The actress and longtime Chanel ambassador opted to wear an archival Georges Chakra Fall 2012 Couture gown, which came as a surprise to me, and no doubt to many of you, too.

Since Matthieu Blazy took the reins at Chanel, Penelope has occasionally stepped outside the house in Jacquemus, but prior to that, she felt like a Chanel-for-every-occasion kind of woman. So seeing her in this strapless black sculpted corseted gown embroidered with black-and-white featherwork appliqué felt like a notable shift.

While the designer choice may have been unexpected, the sense of occasion was not. This sculpted Georges Chakra gown brought the kind of drama Cannes thrives on, from the exaggerated overskirt framing the hips to the fitted mermaid skirt and sweeping train. The black-and-white featherwork appliqué stopped the look from feeling like just another Penélope black gown, bringing texture and visual interest to the design.

Pasquale Bruni jewels completed the look.

Does this bring a fresh sense of excitement to Penelope’s red carpet style as she explores designers beyond Chanel?

Stylist: Anna Castan.

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