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By Isabella Redmond Styles
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64th Annual Cannes Film Festival Celebrity Red Carpet Style Recap
RED CARPET STYLE
POSTED May 23, 2011
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Fashion’s love affair with Cannes arguably began with a little known 19-year-old Parisienne cavorting in the sand. The girl, Brigitte Bardot, is now 76 years old and has long since hung up
her bikini, but the fashion frenzy surrounding the annual Cannes Film Festival has grown ten-fold and it’s almost as much about who wears what as who wins what. The glamour and
escapism that Cannes provides every May, be it a sun-drenched photo call, a glittering premiere or raucous after party on a tycoon’s mega-yacht, offers us a thirst quenching refill of glitz in
the lull between fashion weeks.
Uma Thurman, Cannes jury member this year, set the tone at the opening night of the festival. The actress looked positively goddess-like in a strapless white Versace gown complete with
dreamy feather train and accessorized with jaw dropping emerald Chopard earrings. Whilst Diane Kruger flexed her fashion muscle and showed festival novices how it’s done,
transforming from a photo call appropriate Prada print dress paired with brogues and ankle socks to a premiere-ready gold Calvin Klein collection gown in a matter of hours. At the
Sleeping Beauty premiere, Rachel McAdams bravely pushed the boundaries of red carpet dressing in soft tan high waisted pants and a bustier by Monique Lhullier. We loved her
unconventionality but think McAdams would have packed a stronger punch had she gone for a more vibrant hue. While Alexa Chung made sure the 1960s Parisienne was gone but not
forgotten in a vintage white satin cocktail dress and ticked off the Cannes requirement of eye watering jewelry with a Chopard pear-shaped diamond necklace. Cannes daytime chic can be
hard to master but Penelope Cruz got it spot on at the “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” press call in a midnight blue Stella McCartney halter dress. Yet the Marchesa gown
she chose for the film’s evening premiere, whilst showing off Cruz’s hot post-baby bod, was miles too fussy. If only Cruz had followed the advice of Gwen Stefani, whose Stella McCartney
jumpsuit, proved that sometimes the pant really is mightier than the gown.
At Naomi Campbell’s Cannes Fashion for Relief, it was septuagenarian Jane Fonda who stole the show in gold embroidered Marchesa. Sports Illustrated covergirl Bar Rafaeli failed to get
it right at the Chopard party, in a super short Roberto Cavalli dress that we’re sure we’ve seen a hundred times before. However, her efforts at “The Beaver” premiere, once again in a body-
con Cavalli, but this time long and inky blue, just about made up for it. Fashion favorites Karolina Kurkova and Giovanna Battaglia had the same idea at the De Grisogno party- wear
something very long, but very revealing- and proved to be the hits of the night. Yet the following evening Kurkova’s crown slipped thanks to a frumpy Pucci outfit and she lost out to Thurman
who exuded relaxed glamour in slinky violet Roland Mouret.
her bikini, but the fashion frenzy surrounding the annual Cannes Film Festival has grown ten-fold and it’s almost as much about who wears what as who wins what. The glamour and
escapism that Cannes provides every May, be it a sun-drenched photo call, a glittering premiere or raucous after party on a tycoon’s mega-yacht, offers us a thirst quenching refill of glitz in
the lull between fashion weeks.
Uma Thurman, Cannes jury member this year, set the tone at the opening night of the festival. The actress looked positively goddess-like in a strapless white Versace gown complete with
dreamy feather train and accessorized with jaw dropping emerald Chopard earrings. Whilst Diane Kruger flexed her fashion muscle and showed festival novices how it’s done,
transforming from a photo call appropriate Prada print dress paired with brogues and ankle socks to a premiere-ready gold Calvin Klein collection gown in a matter of hours. At the
Sleeping Beauty premiere, Rachel McAdams bravely pushed the boundaries of red carpet dressing in soft tan high waisted pants and a bustier by Monique Lhullier. We loved her
unconventionality but think McAdams would have packed a stronger punch had she gone for a more vibrant hue. While Alexa Chung made sure the 1960s Parisienne was gone but not
forgotten in a vintage white satin cocktail dress and ticked off the Cannes requirement of eye watering jewelry with a Chopard pear-shaped diamond necklace. Cannes daytime chic can be
hard to master but Penelope Cruz got it spot on at the “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” press call in a midnight blue Stella McCartney halter dress. Yet the Marchesa gown
she chose for the film’s evening premiere, whilst showing off Cruz’s hot post-baby bod, was miles too fussy. If only Cruz had followed the advice of Gwen Stefani, whose Stella McCartney
jumpsuit, proved that sometimes the pant really is mightier than the gown.
At Naomi Campbell’s Cannes Fashion for Relief, it was septuagenarian Jane Fonda who stole the show in gold embroidered Marchesa. Sports Illustrated covergirl Bar Rafaeli failed to get
it right at the Chopard party, in a super short Roberto Cavalli dress that we’re sure we’ve seen a hundred times before. However, her efforts at “The Beaver” premiere, once again in a body-
con Cavalli, but this time long and inky blue, just about made up for it. Fashion favorites Karolina Kurkova and Giovanna Battaglia had the same idea at the De Grisogno party- wear
something very long, but very revealing- and proved to be the hits of the night. Yet the following evening Kurkova’s crown slipped thanks to a frumpy Pucci outfit and she lost out to Thurman
who exuded relaxed glamour in slinky violet Roland Mouret.
Kirsten Dunst brightened things up at the photo call for “Melancholia”, in a
pleated egg yolk yellow Chloe dress but the Rodarte gown she chose for the
film’s evening premiere was drab in comparison. Meanwhile at the
premiere of “The Conquest” supermodel Eva Herzigova showed she’s still
got plenty of va-va-voom in a flirty Dolce & Gabbana tux complete with micro
shorts and perilous red stilettos. The legendary amfAR gala is always floor
to ceiling with jewels, feathers and sequins, so Anya Rubik’s Emilio Pucci
with blue feathers was the perfect choice. Luckily, Kirsten Dunst left the dark
and the drab behind and opted for a similarly girly look in sheer pink Chanel
Haute Couture. Cannes Veteran Claudia Schiffer also plumped for Chanel
for the “This Must Be the Place” premiere. Schiffer’s choice of delicate sheer
black lace and a ton of diamonds might be not be ground breaking but it’s a
classic look we just don’t get tired of seeing.
It was Thurman and Kurkova who left a lasting impression at the festival’s
closing ceremony. Kurkova was perfection in peachy Cavalli sequins and
Veronica Lake waves while Thurman’s bold choice of a figure hugging azure
Armani gown certainly drew admiring glances.
As the curtain comes down on another Cannes Film Festival, it’s clear that
the fashion rules for Cannes never really change. Year after year, acres of
tulle and sequins are worn like they’re going out of fashion, the red carpet
drips with diamonds and no one is shy about showing off the Mediterranean
glow they’ve picked up in something risqué and cut away. Back in the realm
of taste, decency and reality, sequins and sparkle might no curry so much
favor, but this is Cannes and anything we can do, Cannes can do better.
pleated egg yolk yellow Chloe dress but the Rodarte gown she chose for the
film’s evening premiere was drab in comparison. Meanwhile at the
premiere of “The Conquest” supermodel Eva Herzigova showed she’s still
got plenty of va-va-voom in a flirty Dolce & Gabbana tux complete with micro
shorts and perilous red stilettos. The legendary amfAR gala is always floor
to ceiling with jewels, feathers and sequins, so Anya Rubik’s Emilio Pucci
with blue feathers was the perfect choice. Luckily, Kirsten Dunst left the dark
and the drab behind and opted for a similarly girly look in sheer pink Chanel
Haute Couture. Cannes Veteran Claudia Schiffer also plumped for Chanel
for the “This Must Be the Place” premiere. Schiffer’s choice of delicate sheer
black lace and a ton of diamonds might be not be ground breaking but it’s a
classic look we just don’t get tired of seeing.
It was Thurman and Kurkova who left a lasting impression at the festival’s
closing ceremony. Kurkova was perfection in peachy Cavalli sequins and
Veronica Lake waves while Thurman’s bold choice of a figure hugging azure
Armani gown certainly drew admiring glances.
As the curtain comes down on another Cannes Film Festival, it’s clear that
the fashion rules for Cannes never really change. Year after year, acres of
tulle and sequins are worn like they’re going out of fashion, the red carpet
drips with diamonds and no one is shy about showing off the Mediterranean
glow they’ve picked up in something risqué and cut away. Back in the realm
of taste, decency and reality, sequins and sparkle might no curry so much
favor, but this is Cannes and anything we can do, Cannes can do better.
