The Cannes Film Festival Red Carpet Rules—& The Celebs Who Joyfully Break Them

Cannes Film Festival attendees have been warned in the past about naked dressing and voluminous silhouettes, but there are always a few rebels, and stars like Heidi Klum and Wan QianHui notably rocked dramatic ensembles anyway. Despite that, they were allowed on the red carpet, and speaking exclusively to Nicki Swift, San Diego personal stylist Cynthia Kennedy explained that it likely came down to execution.

On the off chance you missed the 2025 Cannes Film Festival drama, just one day before the festival began, organizers sent a warning to guests about what would be allowed on the red carpets. "This year the Cannes Film Festival has made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect. The aim is not to regulate attire per se, but to prohibit full nudity on the red carpet, in accordance with the institutional framework of the event and French law," the announcement read (via Variety). In other words: no naked dresses (and given that Bianca Censori had gone virtually fully nude just a few months prior, many believed the decision was made to avoid any repeats). However, that wasn't all. The organizers also warned against uber-voluminous dresses or trains, warning that anyone in dresses that obstructed movement or seating could be denied entrance. 

Despite the announcement being so unfortunately timed, some stars changed their planned lewks, like Halle Berry. Per Variety, Berry explained, "I had an amazing dress by Gupta that I cannot wear tonight because it's too big of a train. I'm not going to break the rules." Though Berry has rocked her fair share of skin-bearing outfits, she also quipped, "The nudity part is probably a good rule." Like we said, though, not everyone was as willing to change their plans — and Kennedy told us intent likely played a part in them getting away with it. 

In her exclusive commentary to Nicki Swift, Cynthia Kennedy pointed out, "At a high-profile event like Cannes, fashion has always been about how far you can push the boundaries." She also specifically addressed stars like Heidi Klum, whose spectacular Elie Saab dress in 2025 was both voluminous and featured a lengthy train, and Wan QianHui, whose dramatic Wang Feng dress that year made her look as though she was riding on clouds. "When some celebrities wore trains in spite of following the rules, they weren't rejecting authority as much as pushing their limits," Kennedy told us. 

Another detail Kennedy stressed? "A successful risk is one that makes people think, 'That is so you,'" the stylist explained. Sure enough, in Klum's case, many were quick to point out that the supermodel has never been opposed to wild fashion moments. As one Facebook user gushed, "Nobody else could wear that dress!" Likewise, NBC wrote that the pick was just proof that "Klum's supermodel DNA knows no bounds — or dress codes of any kind." As such, Klum effectively played into what Kennedy told us, which was, "A fashion risk succeeds when the wearer looks comfortable and intentional."

As for QianHui's dress, Reddit users also felt as though it had been the perfect choice, even if the stakes were high and she ran the risk of not being allowed on the red carpet. "For the sake of this gown I'm glad the dress code seems not to be as strict as we thought," one wrote. We'd say that's a fashion win!

Of course, the Cannes Film Festival has been running for years, and 2025 wasn't the first time dress code warnings were issued. In fact, a decade prior, the organizers made headlines for denying women wearing flat shoes entry. Enter Julia Roberts, who took her shoes off on the red carpet the following year. For the record, Roberts told Vogue the reason she nixed the stilettos was that she was worried she'd fall on the stairs, but naturally, many have questioned if it had more to do with her making a statement given the timing of everything. To that, Roberts quipped to Vogue, "It was a statement I didn't want to fall down the f***ing stairs." 

Maybe, maybe not, but it also seems very likely that the rest of her 'fit played a part in her not being shooed away for breaking the rules. After all, Cynthia Kennedy also told us one of the golden rules to, well, breaking rules, is to do so in moderation. "Break one rule, not five," she said. Sure enough, despite stepping out of her heels, Roberts' overall outfit wasn't inappropriate by any means, and she said as much in an interview with "Sunrise" the next day. "A lot of time and effort went into ankles up. I just want to say that for the record ... I looked nice last night!" she said (via Us Weekly). She certainly did. 

FWIW, other celebrities have ditched their shoes at Cannes, too, like Kristen Stewart, who alternated between heels and flats in 2016. Though she'd told Vanity Fair that wasn't a statement at the time, when she ditched them again two years later, she clarified that she was making a statement then. "You can't ask people that anymore," she'd told The Hollywood Reporter of the high heel rule. 

Evidently determined to make it clear the Cannes Film Festival's fashion rules were made to be broken, Kristen Stewart once again went against the grain when she attended the festival in 2026, one year after the "no nudity" rules made headlines. Granted, Stewart wasn't exactly in a naked dress, and photocalls are always far more casual than the premieres at the Palais des Festivals, but there's also no question she was stirring the pot when she attended one in a sheer Chanel skirt suit ... and sneakers. 

It is worth noting that despite looking like the suit was see-through, Stewart's stylist, Tara Swennen, told Vogue that wasn't the case. "It actually had these little boy shorts underneath, and a tiny, delicate camisole, so it looked more revealing than it was," the stylist explained. That would stop it from charting dangerous territory in Cynthia Kennedy's terms, but even if it had broken more rules than one, it nonetheless tapped into another thing the stylist told us. That is: "A fashion risk succeeds when the wearer looks comfortable and intentional."

Sticking with the intention portion, Kennedy also told us, "A fashion risk should have a purpose other than just drawing eyes." Yet again, that's been Stewart's MO for years, and she's clearly not afraid of wearing something seemingly inappropriate if she feels it's for the right reasons. And, as for Kennedy's stance that a wearer needs to look comfortable to fully execute rule-breaking in a way that feels admirable rather than being contrarian for the sake of it, Swennen also told Vogue of the "Twilight" alum's approach, "She looks her best when the clothes feel instinctive to her. She never wants to feel over-rehearsed." TBH, we love it for her. 

On to another star whose shoes certainly weren't your go-to stilettos: Jennifer Lawrence. Fashion lovers will no doubt remember the moment her black flip-flops were spotted on the steps of the Palais des Festivals. However, just like the stars who'd gone barefoot before her, Lawrence claimed the shoes weren't intended as a statement. Far from it, she told Entertainment Tonight, "My shoes were a size too big. ... I wore heels going up, but then I forgot to take a picture with my production team, and I knew I would eat s*** if I went down in the shoes that were a size too big." Lawrence also told the outlet that she hadn't known about the stiletto drama of years past, and hinted that she wouldn't have been opposed to skipping the skyscraper heels intentionally if she had. However, she joked, "I'm all for making a statement. I just would want it to be on purpose."

For what it's worth, by the time Lawrence wore her flip-flops, the Cannes Film Festival had eased up somewhat on the flat shoe ban, and like we said, both Julia Roberts and Kristen Stewart had made barefooted strides in that department. What's more, per Page Six, the acceptable scope has since been widened to accommodate "elegant shoes and sandals with or without a heel." Even so, Lawrence's flip-flops continue to be a talking point, since, as Page Six also pointed out, they would still have been far too casual. 

That said, the situation did remind us of Cynthia Kennedy's pointer on a risk needing to elicit "that is so you" sentiments. After all, who better to rock a very-definitely-not-sanctioned flip-flop for fear of face-planting than J-Law?

We'll wrap things up with a dress that probably wouldn't be considered a naked dress proper, but nonetheless felt like a cheeky nod to the highly publicized "no nudity" rule of the year prior. When Marion Cotillard arrived at the premiere of "Roma Elastica" in 2026, she did so in a crocheted Chanel number that exposed both her abdomen and her legs. Also present? A facial expression that suggested she was having a chuckle at the playful insubordination. Sure enough, despite how eye-popping the dress itself was, our focus remained on Cotillard's smile, which tapped right into yet another of Cynthia Kennedy's pointers about taking fashion risks. "People will notice the confidence more than the garment itself," she said, and that's certainly the case with the "Allied" star's 2026 frock.

It's worth noting that Cotillard has spoken about her approach to her Cannes Film Festival looks in the past, and specifically told The Hollywood Reporter that whatever she went with was something she viewed as a kind of armor. "I've done it maybe 20 times, but it's always the same anxiety that gets me. ... I need to be comfortable with my clothes and with my look, so that I can be myself to walk through the intensity," she told the outlet. Cotillard also told The Hollywood Reporter, "How I dress for Cannes depends on how I want to feel." Again, that aligned with one of Cynthia Kennedy's core principles for pushing the boundaries. "Do you want to come across as modern, creative, rebellious, powerful? A fashion risk should have a purpose other than just drawing eyes," she told us. 

Has every rule-breaking celebrity Cannes lewk made for a moment? No. In fact, some have been total fashion flops. However, all art is subjective, and we'd rather be on our toes than bored.