As the 2025 Cannes Film Festival kicks off today, all eyes are on the red carpet – and not just for the couture. In a move that feels more Regency-era than Riviera-ready, the festival has announced new regulations that explicitly ban nudity and overly voluminous silhouettes. The official dress code, issued via the organisation’s charter just days prior to guest arrivals, doubles down on Cannes’ longstanding reputation for sartorial conservatism.
“For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in any other area of the festival,” the code reads with an added stipulation against “Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre are not permitted.” In other words – no naked dress, no frothy tulle faux pas, and no fun?
While the festival has always held itself to an air of European elegance, it could be argued that these latest regulations were penned in direct response to Bianca Censori and Kanye West’s sartorial shock and awe strategy at this year’s Grammys. Or, it could simply be a push against the naked dress trend that holds celebrities in a couture chokehold.
Whether it’s sheer gowns that cause a stir, or figure-hugging creations covered in barely-there beading so delicately placed it could make Grace Kelly blush, the committee have made it clear that anyone not playing by the Cannes fashion rules will be prohibited from walking the red carpet.
Whatever the festival’s raison d’être for insisting on such guidelines, such stipulations are hardly nouveau when it comes to the iconic Croisette of Cannes.
For decades, actors, models and provocateurs have used that same staircase to protest, challenge and subvert the Cannes fashion rules imposed upon them – sometimes silently, sometimes in stilettos, and sometimes in no shoes at all. In banning naked dressing in 2025, the festival appears to be reacting not just to shifting tastes, but to how fashion is being used. When style becomes a statement, it also becomes harder to control – and thus the tension between traditional notions of “appropriate” red carpet attire and its regulation of the female form, continues.
So What Exactly Are The Cannes Film Festival Fashion Rules?
As per the committee’s charter, guests attending any Grand Théâtre Lumière screenings must adhere to the following:
- Evening wear consisting of: “A little black dress”, a cocktail dress, or, a “dark-coloured pantsuit, a dressy top with black pants,” for women.
- For men: A tuxedo in black or navy with bow-tie or “dark-coloured” tie.
- Shoes: Must be “elegant” and can be sandals “with or without a heel.”
- Bags: Tote-bags, backpacks or large bags are prohibited.
- Voluminous outfits: “In particular those with a large train.”
- No taking personal photographs and/or selfies on the red carpet.
- Naked dresses: “For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited.”
Our Favourite Risqué Red Carpet Moments At Cannes
Below, a brief history of the most controversial moments to grace the Cannes Film Festival red carpet over the years.
Bella Hadid, 2024
Model Bella Hadid is the queen of the naked dress, with some of her best barely-there looks taking place on Cannes’ storied Croisette.
Natasha Poly, 2023
Hari Nef, 2023
Ngoc Trinh, 2019
Trinh received significant criticism – and the threat of a fine – from those in her home country, with many on social media calling the dress “sexually explicit”, “gross” and “weird”. The model-designer, however, was refreshingly unapologetic about her Cannes ensemble. “I’ve got a lot of praise for my outfit. I don’t care if people criticise it because I felt pretty in the dress, which made a good impression on the Cannes red carpet,” she reportedly told VNEexpress at the time.
Winnie Harlow, 2019
Victoria Abril, 1997
Ilona Staller, 1988
Bianca Jagger, 1975
Related articles:
- 16 Looks That Prove The Naked Dress Never Goes Out Of Style
- The Cannes Film Festival’s Most Iconic Fashion Moments
- The Most Memorable Moments In Cannes Film Festival History
