Farewell to Nudity (and XL Trains): Cannes Enforces New Dress Code

Cannes bids farewell to nudity and dresses with long trains: the red carpet is now subject to new rules.

The Cannes Film Festival has made an unexpected change to its iconic red carpet by announcing a ban on nudity and voluminous train dresses starting with the 2025 edition. While the event is renowned for celebrating cinema, fashion has become an essential part of the spectacle, with sheer fabrics and intricate embroidery setting trends year after year. This time, however, the organisers are opting for restraint.

According to the new official document, “for reasons of decency, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in any other area of the festival.” The reception team will be authorised to deny entry to anyone who does not comply with these rules, which are also outlined in the newly published “festival-goer’s charter”.

The new protocol recommends cocktail dresses, little black dresses, dark suits or elegant tops paired with black trousers. Exaggerated trains, meanwhile, have been banned “as they hinder guest movement and seating arrangements”.

The big question now is: how will daring designers and celebrities reinterpret these new rules? While we wait to find out, we recall Bella Hadid’s striking sheer look from 2024 — likely never to be seen again under the new regulations.