Clooney’s Rebel Gown Sparks Cannes Chaos
This couldn’t be more predictable, yet here we are: Amal Clooney storming the Cannes red carpet in a silhouette that blatantly thumbed its nose at freshly minted festival diktats. The human rights attorney-turned-producer glided into the 78th Cannes Film Festival on May 16 for the premiere of Bono: Stories of Surrender, draped in a black silk gown that defied the event’s new “no voluminous trains” and “no nudity” mandate. Of course, some lesser mortals found themselves unceremoniously bounced at the entrance for wearing anything less “eveningwear appropriate”—because nothing says elitist spectacle like turning away paying guests over hemlines.
According to Cannes’s official FAQ, “nudity is prohibited on the red carpet” and any outfits that “hinder the proper flow of traffic” are strictly forbidden. Yet Clooney’s off-the-shoulder straps and clingy silhouette—complete with dangling diamond earrings and a gleaming blowout worthy of salon envy—went off without a hitch. You can almost hear the festival ushers grinding their teeth as she breezed past them, backed by flashes from Stephane Cardinale’s Corbis/Getty lenses. (Source: Cannes Festival FAQ; Getty Images)
Meanwhile, back in reality, George Clooney is holding up his end of the celebrity couple bargain by treading the boards in New York’s Good Night, and Good Luck on Broadway. No word yet on whether he’s as fashion-forward offstage, but it’s safe to assume he’s enjoying his pampered East Coast routine while Amal racks up headlines in the South of France. And lest you think this was her solo project, Brad Pitt—old pal and producer—was right in the front row alongside Bono and The Edge at the star-studded unveiling of Apple TV+’s documentary, which drops May 30. (Source: People Magazine)
Of course, other A-listers such as Imogen Poots, Petra Nemcova, Kim Gordon and Thora Birch also honored the festival’s strict sartorial scripture—though many regrettably did not. Footwear options? “Elegant shoes and sandals with or without a heel,” the website warns. Sneakers, apparently, remain the scourge of festival fashion. Based on the flurry of Instagram posts and press releases, the festival’s new code has spawned a red-carpet gauntlet that’s part style exam, part bureaucratic farce.
At this point, should we even pretend to be surprised by the next Cannes calamity? Bookmark this for the inevitable “I told you so” moment—because nothing unites the Hollywood elite like arguing over hemlines.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Cannes Film Festival Official FAQ, Getty Images
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
