The Cannes Film Festival has the crème de la crème of the glamour industry sashay down red carpets in their sartorial best year after year. Cannes 2018 was exactly that, and so much more. For a fashion monger and trend hawk, this event is an annual delight. There’s so much to observe and learn; the to-do’s and the never-ever are all on ready display.
Here are my top fashion lessons from Cannes 2018:
1. Styling Florals for a Formal Event
Florals are typically associated with day-time casual and semi-formal dressing. But Amber Heard and Thandie Newtown showed us how to pull off florals at a formal mega-event such as Cannes. While actress Amber wore lovely Valentino gown with a bell-shaped floral bodice, British beauty Thandie wowed in her Vivienne Westwood off-shoulder gown sporting the house’s “Absence of Roses” print.
What we learnt – When wearing florals to a formal do, go for outfits in delicate fabrics such as silk, satin, and georgette. The more distinctive the silhouette, the better.
2. Sheer Beauty with Sheer Outfits
Wearing sheer clothing is rather tricky, even for celebrities. Striking the right balance between elegance and provocativeness is no small task. Deepkia Padukone nailed it at the premiere of Sorry Angel, wearing a white Zuhair Murad gown with netted detailing. Model and reality TV star Kendall Jenner pushed the envelope further in a bold, layered Schiaparelli gown which accentuated her lean figure.
What we learnt – Sheer outfits are statements by themselves. Best to keep the hair and makeup simple, to avoid the look being too over-the-top.
3. Taking “Red Hot” a Step Further
The “Red Hot” outfit has become a common sight, especially on international red carpets. This time, several celebs added oomph to their red outfits in very interesting ways. Irina Shayk stole the show in her sultry, hip-baring Versace gown at one of the events. The antithesis to this look, but equally impressive, was Julianne Moore’s outfit at the opening ceremony – a simple Givenchy gown, with a beautiful tasseled train.
What we learnt – Styling red intelligently is important if you want to stand out. Layered stylistics, embellishments, and cut-work are few of the fashion-forward choices for the “Red Hot” look.
4. Nailing the Princess Look
Princess-gowns are a girl’s childhood fantasies come alive. But it challenging to carry such clothing well, without looking misplaced at a high-brow event. Sonam Kapoor showed us how it’s done her skin-toned couture gown by Vera Wang, at the Star Wars movie premiere. Similarly, Bella Hadid aced the princess look in a flowy, golden-beige Zuhair Murad gown at the Ash Is The Purest White premiere.
What we learnt – Uber-feminine gowns with typical princess silhouettes need to be styled well to avoid looking awkward. Like Sonam and Bella did, keep the makeup and hair classic-elegant, to steal the limelight in a good way.
5. Looking Confident Under Invasive Scrutiny
At events where the fashion police is a dime a dozen, and the press is relentlessly invasive, the attitude is as important as the outfit. Confidence is key. Canadian model Winnie Harlow walked the red carpet with the panache of a veteran in her eye-ball grabbing, green Ralph and Russo gown. Indian actress and Cannes debutant Kangana Ranaut also held her own in a series of gorgeous outfits, especially the beaded, silver jumpsuit by Nedret Taciroglu she wore to a Friday event.
What we learnt – If you have it, own it! Being a fashionable diva is all about carriage. So keep your head high and you’re sure to make an impression.
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