The Cannes Film Festival Is Cracking Down on Naked Dressing on the Red Carpet

Imagine telling celebrities they can’t wear naked dresses to one of the biggest red carpets of the year. Bella Hadid, Julia Fox, and Florence Pugh would lead the riot without a doubt. Well, the Cannes Film Festival had better prepare for some protests. On Monday— a day before the 78th iteration of the beachside event kicks off—festival organizers released a new set of guidelines, which includes an update to its dress code that likely has stylists in a last-minute tizzy.

According to its charter, “for decency reasons,” nudity has been prohibited at the Cannes premieres. Anyone who does not abide by this rule will be banned from the red carpet.

It seems a bit strange that in the year of 2025, Cannes is making this seemingly close-minded call. The past few years have seen an influx of nude dressing, a trend that has spread from the Croisette to red carpets around the world. But how aggressively will this rule be enforced? When The Hollywood Reporter asked the festival for further information on the update, a rep clarified that these “rules have long been in effect,” and the updated charter now reflects that. Their goal, meanwhile, is “not to regulate attire per se but to prohibit full nudity on the carpet.” But what, exactly, does “full nudity” mean in this context? Would the completely see-through Saint Laurent dress Bella Hadid wore to the festival in 2024 fly in 2025? What a shame it would be to miss out on another moment like that.

If the star of a film in competition arrives to the red carpet of her premiere with a freed nipple, will she be turned away? Besides, the dress code was announced so last minute—just a day before the opening ceremony—it seems unlikely that anyone will change their planned looks. So what if Hadid is feeling rebellious and arrives to an event in a dress akin to the Schiaparelli couture piece she wore in 2021, which saw golden bronchioles barely cover her top half? The model will be attending the festival’s opening ceremony on behalf of Chopard, for which she is a brand ambassador. A major sponsor of the festival, Chopard will likely not be too happy if Hadid is denied entry to the red carpet because her dress is too sheer.

Other parts of this new dress code are just as confusing. It continues, stating, “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.” So, dresses are not to be too skimpy nor too large. Where is one supposed to find this perfect Goldilocks dress? Besides, what is the Cannes red carpet if not the perfect setting for a gorgeous ball gown? Would Elle Fanning’s Alexander McQueen masterpiece not be permitted in 2025? Or what about Tilda Swinton’s fruit-covered Dior by John Galliano confection from 2001? You can’t tell a movie star to not wear a ball gown. That’s like asking an LV girl to wear pants to the 2025 Met Gala. It can’t be done.

There is also mention of proper footwear for women, specifically “elegant shoes and sandals with or without a heel,” which is notable, considering once, back in 2015, during the Cannes premiere of Carol, multiple women were reportedly turned away from the red carpet because their heels weren’t high enough. The festival denied the rumors at the time (It’s also important to note that in 2011, Uma Thurman wore flat sandals without incident to the Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides premiere in 2011). Since 2015, however, many flats have graced the Croisette, including in 2023, when Jennifer Lawrence opted for black flip flops with her red Dior dress. And no one intervened in 2016 when Julia Roberts ditched her shoes altogether and went barefoot. In 2018, Kristen Stewart followed suit and took off her heels, which was all the more visible in her silver mini dress. “People get very upset at you if you, like, don’t wear heels or something,” the actress told The Hollywood Reporter the year prior. “But…if you’re not asking guys to wear heels and a dress, you cannot ask me either.” Considering Stewart was a member of the jury in 2018, it’s no surprise no one stopped her.

Most likely, the new rules are in place to mitigate stunts. The Cannes Film Festival is, first and foremost, a film festival, not a fashion show, and the organizers probably want to keep the focus on the films. Last year, Dominican actress Massiel Taveras went viral after she was aggressively ushered off the carpet by security while she tried to continuously adjust her enormous train depicting the face of Jesus in a crown of thorns. Kelly Rowland got similar treatment by the same security guard, though her dress wasn’t nearly as cumbersome. It seems unlikely that anyone will actually get turned away unless they show up looking like Bianca Censori at the 2025 Grammys, but we will have to wait until Tuesday to really see how these new rules play out.

Six more dresses that would be banned from the 2025 Cannes Film Festival: