Train to be or not to be… Cannes distinguished attendees asked to adhere to a strict dress code
Miles of fabric following the silhouette of a celeb on the red carpet. A sight to behold! The Cannes Film Festival is known for fashion extravaganza. Ornate gowns with long trains! But this year, at the last minute, came an official order— no voluminous outfits, in particular those with a long train. And, yes, no nudity either, on or off the red carpet.
It sent the celebs attending the gala into a huddle. The first casualty, unfortunately, was our own Gaurav Gupta’s gown, which jury member Halle Berry was to wear for the opening ceremony. The actress made a last minute change. “I had an amazing dress by (Gaurav) Gupta to wear tonight and I cannot wear it because the train’s too big. I had to make a pivot. But the nudity part I do think is probably also a good rule,” Berry said. She made an entry in a striped Jacquemus gown. The dress code, however, did not deter some celebs from following their hearts. The opening ceremony saw Heidi Klum dressed in a floral gown with a dramatic floor-grazing train. Cannes favourite Bella Hadid made an entry in a silky black Saint Laurent gown, which allowed ample skin show.
A few took the middle path. Hannah Waddingham, Pom Klementieff, Eva Longoria and Aliia Roza opted for shorter trains. The restriction at one of the fashion’s hottest spots has left netizens divided. Many feel such a curb is wrong. It’s attire policing! Others welcome it. After all, they feel it’s a film festival and long trains are nothing but a hindrance.
Ritu Kochhar, founder director INIFD, agrees in principal with the new rule. “Dresses with long train need four or five assistants and takes considerable time on the stairs, which can disrupt the flow of traffic and also complicate the seating arrangement in the theatre.”
But a long train never fails to grab shutterbugs’ attention. “If the train is an intrinsic part of the design like Aishwarya Rai’s peacock gown with feathers, it works, but if the train is attached to just grab eyeballs, it certainly can be done away with.”
The rules
Yay
n The guests attending the evening screening at the Grand Théâtre Lumière are ‘required’ to adhere to classic evening wear, specifically ‘long dresses and tuxedos’.
n The alternate fashion options include ‘a little black dress, a cocktail dress, a dark-coloured pantsuit, a dressy top with black pants’ for women.
n Men’s sartorial choices include a black or navy blue suit with bow-tie or a dark-coloured tie.
Nay
n Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, which hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre.
n No nudity on the red carpet, as well as any other area.
