This Week, Rebellious Style Ruled the Red Carpet 

With the Cannes Film Festival, Paris couture shows, and high-profile awards shows like the ESPYs all occurring in the same seven-day span, the race for best dressed has never been more competitive. Last week you couldn’t open a website or scroll through social media without seeing an attention-grabbing outfit. Given the excess of ballgowns and statement jewels, it wasn’t enough for a celebrity to parade through the Palais du Cinema in a borrowed designer look; to truly stand out, one had to exceed expectations. Whether that meant choosing fashion with a sustainable slant or putting a fresh twist on a familiar collection depended on the star, but everyone seemed intent on breaking from tradition. 

Every guest at Dior’s romantic fall/winter 2021 couture collection interpreted Maria Grazia Chiuri’s designs differently, but it was Black Widow star Florence Pugh who stole the show. Fresh from playing an operative onscreen, Pugh gave her Dior finery a super-spy makeover, pairing the dainty embroidered tulle bralette and skirt with combat boots and a tiny purse barely large enough to fit microfiche. With her purple-tipped hair and rock ‘n’ roll attitude, Pugh brought a welcome sense of fun to the proceedings. 

At Cannes, the glamour was nonstop. A regular presence at the event for the past four decades, Isabelle Huppert dazzled in jet black Balenciaga at a screening of Tout s est bien passe. The only thing cooler than the acting legend’s skintight Demna Gvasalia catsuit/dress was her oversized, movie star shades. 

Neon was trending, with Cannes newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith turning heads in Gucci’s ombré marabou feathers at the premiere of Matt Damon’s drama, Stillwater. Worn with regal flair, Turner’s high drama look cemented her place as one to watch for the festival’s duration. Chiara Ferragni’s custom Giambattista Valli at the same event came with an eco-friendly twist. The silver rosettes that detailed the bodice of the influencer-turned-entrepreneur’s acid green silk gown were made from the same sheets of recycled aluminum used for Nespresso pods.  

Unexpected materials were an easy way to add visual interest, and this week, denim took center stage. At the premiere of De Son Vivant, Marion Cotillard stunned in Chanel’s refined take on the denim shirtdress. Granted, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin provided a charming mother-daughter blue jeans moment during the photocall for their film Jane par Charlotte days earlier. But Cotillard’s jeans, with their hand-painted flowers, were still an extravagant (and welcome) surprise.