The 2025 Cannes Film Festival's Best-Dressed Stars Ask, "What Dress Code?"

If the new Cannes Film Festival dress code intended to turn the focus away from stars' fashion entirely, the earliest entries on 2025's best-dressed list prove it backfired.

24 hours before Cannes regulars like Bella Hadid and Eva Longoria descended onto the red carpet, the festival's organizers unveiled a fresh—and controversial—set of wardrobe restrictions. Cascading, voluminous trains were forbidden to speed up step-and-repeat traffic. "Nudity," perceived as an outright attack on celebrities' favorite naked dresses, was banned in the name of "decency." The restrictions set off an online debate over the policy's murky connotations. Stylist Karla Welch called it "lame and patriarchal" on Instagram Stories, while stylist Maeve Reilly told Vogue Business the new restrictions were a "disappointment."

In the lead up to the opening ceremony on May 13, it seemed A-listers' teams would have to scramble behind the scenes to ensure their clients could meet the moment—whether they agreed with the policy or not. So far, Cannes' best-dressed have still delivered plenty of glamour. If any of their pieces were a Hail Mary, last-minute request, it doesn't show.

For the first slate of premieres, Bella Hadid's Saint Laurent dress delivered heart-stopping proportions without baring much skin, and Julia Garner's sequin gown by Gucci deftly blended textures. By day two, Zoe Saldaña stunned in a red carpet LBD and matching black jacket. As the weekend rolled around, two legacy stars made a long-awaited return at the May 16 Eddington premiere. First, Angelina Jolie at her first Cannes Film Festival in more than a decade. Then, Natalie Portman in stunning custom Dior.

Things heated up into the following week, as Jennifer Lawrence stacked back-to-back Dior gowns and Rihanna made her fashionably late arrival in custom Alaïa. There's still more to come: The 2025 Cannes Film Festival lasts through Saturday, May 24, and each day will bring dozens more sightings of runway and custom couture. Some styling will no doubt test the Cannes dress code's limits; we say, bring it on.

Below, catch up on the best-dressed stars attending the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, updated daily with more memorable (and dress-code-approved) looks.

Elle Fanning wearing Giorgio Armani Privé

When Elle Fanning and stylist Samantha McMillen get together at Cannes, stunning things happen. Their collaborative powers were at their peak for the May 21 premiere of Sentimental Value. The pair placed Fanning in a Giorgio Armani Privé gown resembling a garden in full bloom. Sequin roses climbed upward from the back of Fanning's modest train to the top of her strapless bodice, all set against a teal sequin backdrop. Between the 3-D florals on her dress and her flowing hair, Fanning looked like spring incarnate.

Cara Delevingne

Of course all eyes would go toward Cara Delevingne's gothic hair transformation when she attended the May 21 premiere of The History of Sound at the Cannes Film Festival. It's a dramatic departure from her usual soft-brown shade, made even more stark by her blunt baby bangs and stepped-out-of-the-shower wet texture. Still, her wine red gown deserves equal praise. The drop-waist silhouette and curved low neckline are tailored to absolute perfection.

Elsa Hosk wearing Anastasia Zadorina

Elsa Hosk is usually a couture risk-taker. (Remember her surrealist Viktor & Rolf gown from the 2023 Cannes red carpet?) But this year, she and stylist Dani Michelle decided to set aside the optical illusions and choose a custom Anastasia Zadorina gown and Chopard jewelry that are simply, perfectly refined.

Naomi Campbell wearing Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda

How does one top an archival dress they'd debuted on the runway decades before? With a fresh couture gown featuring an intricate baroque bodice and a tulle skirt that challenges the space-saving dress code with finesse. Naomi Campbell attended the Cannes Film Festival on May 20 for the premiere of Fuori, but her ornate Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda gown was the main event.

Scarlett Johansson wearing Prada

Some first-time directors wear tuxedos to say they mean business. Scarlett Johansson and stylist Kate Young went in the opposite direction, choosing an ethereal Prada gown and DeBeers jewelry for the May 19 premiere of Eleanor the Great. The drop-waist strapless dress's draped bodice and two-part train bucked all the usual conventions for dressing to be seen as a leader—and it stuck the landing.

Rihanna wearing custom Alaïa

Rihanna's only Cannes Film Festival red carpet competition is herself. The white custom Dior (and matching sunglasses) she wore in 2017 live on in fashion memory, but they've finally been topped by her turquoise custom Alaïa for the May 19 premiere of Highest 2 Lowest. Asymmetric cut-outs highlighted Baby No.3's impending arrival, while the shade of blue reflected the Mediterranean beach just outside the theatre. Standing with partner A$AP Rocky in the light rain, Ri could have been acting out a remix of her "Umbrella" music video—even sweeter than the original, with her family by her side.

Jennifer Lawrence wearing Dior

One Cannes Dior gown wasn't enough for Die, My Love star Jennifer Lawrence. After walking the red carpet in a custom dress modeled off a 1949 design, the actress quick-changed into a second look from Dior's Fall 2024 Couture collection. This look, once again styled by Jamie Mizrahi, channeled the same understatedly-chic energy powering Lawrence's New York City street style. The one-shoulder design flowed off her frame like liquid, pooling behind her in a dress code-compliant train. Another small-yet-mighty change accompanied her fresh gown: Lawrence also added a dazzling pair of wraparound Ana Khouri diamond and emerald earrings.

Alex Consani wearing custom Schiaparelli

The 2024 Model of the Year arrived at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival ready to remind everyone why she earned the title. Alex Consani delivered a welcome alternative to the long-trained, sequin-coated gowns typical of Cannes by choosing a custom Schiparelli suit. Stylist Kevin Lanoy expertly balanced her top's circular neckline and a sculptural peplum hem with loose black trousers and pointed-toe heels. It's Consani's hazy eye makeup and top-model energy that make this look come alive.

Dakota Johnson wearing custom Gucci

Once a Gucci girl, always a Gucci girl. For the May 19 premiere of Highest 2 Lowest, Dakota Johnson tapped the Italian house for a fringe strapless dress in a shade of peony pink. The shine from her Boucheron diamond earrings rivaled the layer of sequins glistening beneath her dress's longline fringe. Johnson couldn't help swishing her gown in front of the cameras, and it was joyful to watch as she must have felt herself. So few guests at film festivals seem to have fun on the red carpet—but here, Johnson seemed to let loose.

Zoey Deutch wearing custom Chanel

Okay, Zoey Deutch's Chanel dress technically came from the Nouvelle Vague photocall and not its May 17 red carpet premiere. Still, her custom design embodies everything magnifique about Cannes Film Festival style. Deutch's look is inspired by a 1956 Chanel dress sharing the same striped bodice and bow details—which would be a fit for the French Riviera all on its own. Add in the fact that Jean Seberg wore the original dress first—and Deutch plays her in the upcoming film—and you have a red carpet homage that earns an archival standing ovation.

Julianne Moore wearing Bottega Veneta

Fashion obsessives have wondered what Louise Trotter's Bottega Veneta would look like ever since her appointment to creative director was announced last December. The first look arrived at the Cannes Film Festival, when Julianne Moore attended The Phoenician Scheme's May 18 premiere wearing a Trotter original. Her dress hinted at a sleek, minimalist direction for the house, between its wraparound silhouette and the touch of leather in the one-shoulder fringe strap. Consensus: It bodes well for Trotter's runway debut in September.

Jennifer Lawrence wearing Dior

The minute Jennifer Lawrence's horror-comedy Die, My Love, was added to the Cannes Film Festival roster, fashion obsessives knew the star would light up the red carpet. Sure enough, she made her first appearance since 2023 in a stunning custom Dior gown with nods to the 1920s dress she wore for her 2019 wedding, as well as an archival 1949 Dior couture piece known as "Poulenc." Styled by Jamie Mizrahi, the white pleated dress fell in half-circle layers resembling a stack of seashells plucked from the nearby Mediterranean Sea. Lawrence brought some of her signature New York City cool to the look with a Sophie Buhai clutch and Aquazzura sandal heels.

Amal Clooney wearing archival Dior

Solo Amal Clooney red carpet sightings are as rare as shooting stars. Fans of the stylish human rights lawyer's fashions were rewarded for months without sightings when she arrived at the May 16 premiere of Bono: Stories of Surrender. She chose an archival Christian Dior gown from the John Galliano era, continuing her years-long streak of choosing vintage over custom couture. The black dress featured a low, off-the-shoulder neckline that extended into a dramatic—but not obstructive—train. (Clooney was nowhere near breaking this year's ban on excessive fabric.) Paired to a deep side-parted blowout, sprinkles of diamond jewelry, and a black satin clutch, this look was elegance embodied.

Kristen Stewart wearing custom Chanel

Everyone say bonjour to Cannes' favorite red carpet renegade. Kristen Stewart is making her directorial debut for The Chronology of Water at the 74th annual film festival, and doing it on her terms. This year, that means eschewing a flowing gown for an ivory shorts suit by Chanel, paired to strappy sandal heels with socks and a matching baseball cap. Hours before the event, she'd attended a photo call in a sheer skirt appearing to challenge the anti-see-through agenda in this year's dress code. Stewart's androgynous suiting is another powerful nod to the ways women have bucked tradition at Cannes and come out ahead.

Angelina Jolie wearing Brunello Cucinelli

It's been 14 long years, but Angelina Jolie is finally back at the Cannes Film Festival. She returned in a way that's refreshingly true to her current personal style era: in a Brunello Cucinelli gown with a sculpted, strapless silhouette and flecks of glitter throughout.

Emma Stone wearing custom Louis Vuitton

One of the most anticipated Cannes 2025 arrivals finally beamed onto the May 16 red carpet in a futuristic custom Louis Vuitton gown. Emma Stone and stylist Petra Flannery have been increasingly experimental with Stone's red carpet dresses from awards season to the festival circuit. One day she'll subvert mermaid dressing with a shimmery sequin gown; the next, she'll resemble a 1920s starlet in a red dress with exaggerated pockets (the better to store movie popcorn). Here, the split white bib is a delightfully surrealist addition to her otherwise minimalist white column design.

Natalie Portman wearing custom Dior

What do you get when you mix 700 hours of meticulous work in the Dior atelier with the legendary "Mexican model" evening gown from the 1951 winter haute couture collection? Natalie Portman's custom look for the May 16 Eddington premiere, of course. She modified the original gown flecked with gold to reflect a starry evening in black and silver, with hand-embroidered, glittery half moons placed all over the skirt. Just like the night sky, you could stare at this dress's details for hours and hardly get tired.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wearing custom Balenciaga

The phrase "wrapped in red" takes on new meaning in model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's custom Balenciaga gown. Created in collaboration with stylist Emma Jade Morrison, the strapless piece keeps a windswept, ethereal quality while molding to Whiteley's body on account of the wraparound chiffon. For a final touch of juxtaposition, she ended on a sharp note with Balenciaga's infamous knife heels. Head to toe, this look is killer.

Ariana Greenblatt wearing custom Louis Vuitton

Ariana Greenblatt's first Cannes Film Festival is shaping up to be quite memorable with help from her second, sculptural Louis Vuitton custom gown. Stylist Molly Dickson knocked it off La Croisette and into a new stratosphere with this look, which relies on an exaggerated curved bodice and a skirt that juts out far enough for Greenblatt to rest her hands (or even her phone!). It doesn't come close to breaking the festival's train rule, but this dress admirably takes up space.

Irina Shayk wearing Elie Saab

Irina Shayk has taken the updated Cannes Film Festival red carpet dress code as a personal invitation to reimagine black evening gown in every form. On day one, she glided onto the step-and-repeat in a frothy Armani Privé confection; two days later, she attended a May 15 screening in a feathered Elie Saab creation reminiscent of Black Swan. Between the extravagant embellishments, feathered bodice, and elbow-length sheer gloves, it could compete with the evening's screening for the festival's top drama.

Ariana Greenblatt wearing custom Cong Tri

A lot of Cannes red carpet looks over-index on sculptural shoulders and sparkling embellishments. Actress Ariana Greenblatt tapped Cong Tri for a dress that swerved in the opposite direction to best-dressed effect. Her pale pink halter gown only needed its bias cut and silky, just-long-enough train to stand out.

Zoe Saldaña wearing Saint Laurent

Zoe Saldaña's Academy Award-winning glow hasn't worn off yet. The star made her first major film circuit appearance post-Oscar on the Cannes red carpet for Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning's May 14 premiere. The star picked right up where her Emilia Pérez press looks left off, in an scoop-neck Saint Laurent black dress and strappy sandals. A leather jacket draped across her arms added a chicly insouciant air to the overall look—like she'd hurried out the door and barely had time to throw on her final layer. Only a trophy holder could make such an understated look seem so chic.

Angela Bassett wearing Burberry 

Burberry is firmly on its comeback beat—at least among A-listers. Beyoncé is wearing custom tartan on the Cowboy Carter tour; Cardi B and Law Roach chose the British label for the Met Gala; Gen Z celebrities are all vacationing in Burberry bikinis last seen in the early aughts. Attending the Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning premiere at Cannes on May 14, Angela Bassett added another entry to the Burberry renaissance tally. She tapped the house for a look commenters called "coven couture" on Instagram, featuring a tight-fitting black bodice offset by dramatic navy and black fringe along the sleeves and skirt. A still photo doesn't quite do it justice; when Bassett glided down the carpet and up the steps into the theatre, the dress hypnotically swayed with her.

Hayley Atwell wearing Giambattista Valli Couture

She may be the leading lady in a movie series dedicated to seemingly insurmountable missions, but Hayley Atwell pulled off her sculptural Giambattista Valli gown for the Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning premiere with ease. The star juxtaposed her dress's dramatic proportions—it has an oversize bow and a sizable trumpet skirt—with simple drop earrings and a slicked-back updo. Standout Cannes style, accomplished.

Eva Longoria wearing Elie Saab

Some stars consider crisp, all-white outfits their Cannes Film Festival essential. Eva Longoria and stylist Maeve Reilly have a more adventurous staple: bright sequins. Longoria followed her pre-carpet nude sequin dress on May 13 with an Elie Saab gown so thoroughly coated in emerald green sequins, it looked almost liquid. Paired with Wicked green earrings by Chopard, she was the gem of the Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning red carpet.

Halle Berry wearing Celia Kritharioti

Halle Berry chicly handled a fashion roadblock on the first day of Cannes. She'd planned to wear a Gurav Gupta gown, but traded it for a runway Jacquemus dress after fearing she'd "break the rules" with her original look's train. The following day, Berry hit the Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning premiere in a Celia Kritharioti dress that delivered on volume without tripping the Cannes dress code alarm. A tight-fitting, black strapless bodice gave way to a frothing pink gingham skirt. It's bubbly and effervescent, while allowing Berry to exercise her hard-earned red carpet right to take up space.

Bella Hadid wearing Saint Laurent

Hours into the first day of the Cannes Film Festival, it was already decided: a freshly blonde Bella Hadid would appear on the best-dressed list more than once. She made a strong first showing at the May 13 premiere of Partir Un Jour in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello—the same house behind her memorable first look at last year's circuit. The cross-back gown in black satin, paired with rhinestone-adorned heels and oversize emerald earrings, showed expert restraint. It perfectly balanced what it revealed and concealed, even as the back cut low and the slit went sky high.

Julia Garner wearing Gucci

Julia Garner's second time attending the Cannes Film Festival is already her best—and her most Gucci. After greeting photographers in a head-to-toe look from the Pre-Fall 2025 collection, she changed into a bespoke draped dress by the house for the opening ceremony and Partir Un Jour premiere. She didn't need a body-baring naked dress to catch fashion editors' attention: the contrasting textures at play between her nude sequin base layer and swaths of draped black sheer fabric were plenty to behold.

Eva Longoria wearing Tamara Ralph Couture

Eva Longoria is one of the Cannes Film Festival's undisputed queens. 2025 marks twenty years of Longoria appearances at the annual event, where she typically feels an urge to "color outside the lines" with her red carpet style.

After spending the morning in a skintight, sequin naked dress, Longoria changed into a Tamara Ralph Couture gown with mirrorball-esque panels and a thin black train. The fabric's high shine and contrasting textures brought all the drama one expects from Cannes—without tipping off the dress-code police.

Irina Shayk wearing Armani Privé

The last time model Irina Shayk attended the Cannes Film Festival, in 2023, she paired a leather bikini top and low-rise skirt by Mowalola with a hulking Messika diamond necklace. Two years later, she took the new dress code to heart with a diametrically opposed Armani Privé look. Her frothy strapless dress twinkled like starlight with all-over silver detailing, while a high half-updo and elbow-length gloves provided some old-world charm. This is the kind of swerve that makes the changing look of Cannes feel a little more welcome—that is, when it helps us see a celebrity we think we know in an entirely new style.