Playful fashion details light up the 79th Cannes Film Festival red carpet

Playful and extravagant fashion details shined at the Cannes Film Festival, where stars gathered for premieres and parties. From a lipstick-shaped purse to a stiletto-heel hairpiece, the red carpet became a spectacle of its own. The red carpet at Cannes is one of the most famous fashion showcases in the world.

Unlike events such as the Oscars ceremony or Met Gala, the display goes on for more than a week. That gives both celebrities and their stylists lots of opportunities to pull luxe looks together, on top of plenty of daytime casual couture for Cannes photocalls. The biggest selection of styles come from the never-ending wardrobes of the jury members, who attended daily premieres to watch the movies.

This year the panel, led by Park Chan-wook, included Demi Moore, Ruth Negga, Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård, Laura Wandel, Diego Céspedes, Isaach De Bankolé and Paul Laverty. Moore, in particular, switched up styles with off-the-shoulder lavender Gucci, a body-hugging gown by Jacquemus, a dramatic shaggy fur from Gucci’s Resort 2027 collection, and a huge hot-pink gown by avant-garde fashion label Matières Fécales.

A woman holding a purse decorated with a depiction of a face.

A visitor holds a purse decorated with water bird legs that reads 'Love.'

Chefs’ kisses go to Colman Domingo, who wore a caped, twinkly purple Valentino shirt; Blanchett in backless floral Givenchy, complete with tassels; Isabelle Huppert in a delicate fanned out, bright red Gucci gown; Ruth Negga in black and white tuxedo tailoring; and vintage lover Dita von Teese channelling Old Hollywood in Tamara Ralph Couture.

Meanwhile, Cristian Mungiu’s Norway-set drama about political polarization “Fjord” has won the Palme d’Or, handing the Cannes Film Festival’s top honor for the second time to Mungiu, the Romanian director of “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.” At a 79th Cannes Film Festival that saw few films breakout, “Fjord” found wide admiration for its engrossing tale of what Mungiu called “left-wing fundamentalism.”

A woman wears an intricate tiara.

Photographers are reflected in a gold-coloured purse. Photos: Associated Press

It stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as Romanian Evangelicals who move to Norway, but soon after have their children taken from them by child services for spanking them. Mungiu becomes just the 10th filmmaker to win the Palme d’Or twice. His “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” a Romanian abortion drama, won the award in 2007.

The Grand Prix, or second prize, went to “Minotaur,” Andrey Zvyagintsev’s domestic thriller set against Russia’s war with Ukraine. Loosely based on Claude Chabrol’s 1969 film “The Unfaithful Wife,” “Minotaur” is about a Russian businessman suspicious of his wife’s indiscretions.

Associated Press