Cannes 2026: Bows, bounce and rule breakers on the red carpet
The Guardian’s gallery of week two highlights reveals how stars navigated the closing ceremony, from oversized bows to high-top trainers.
The second week of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival concluded with a display of sartorial defiance and refined elegance, as documented in a photo gallery by The Guardian. The coverage, spanning the closing ceremony and various premieres, captured the distinct mood of La Croisette as the festival drew to a close. High-profile attendees, including Isabelle Huppert, Tilda Swinton, Chloé Zhao, Demi Moore, Penélope Cruz, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, and John Travolta, presented a mix of classic glamour and contemporary disruption.
A recurring motif throughout the week was the oversized bow, appearing with notable frequency across different houses. Zoe Saldaña wore a floral Chanel dress tied with a giant bow at the waist, while Alexa Chung opted for a satin Dior couture dress loosely knotted with a black ribbon. The trend extended to menswear and tailoring, with Julianne Moore subverting Thom Browne’s sharp aesthetic by wearing an undone bow, and Juliette Binoche adding edge to a Celine tailored look with similar oversized detailing.
Footwear provided the most significant point of contention and conversation. Kristen Stewart broke the festival’s long-standing ‘no sneakers’ rule at the Full Phil premiere, revealing high-top Chanel trainers beneath her crocheted dress. This act of rebellion echoed her 2018 protest against the no-flats policy, reinforcing her status as a footwear icon who prioritises comfort over convention. Other stars experimented with silhouette and texture, with Renate Reinsve challenging minimalist norms in sequined silver disco trousers, and Penélope Cruz adding whimsy to her one-shoulder Chanel gown with fuzzy pom-poms.
Red remained a dominant colour, though often deployed with specific stylistic intent. Chloé Zhao, Demi Moore, and Julianne Moore all selected red dresses for the closing ceremony or premieres, with Zhao’s Gabriela Hearst knit featuring a looped tiered fringe that created a springy bounce effect. Tilda Swinton also embraced movement, wearing a pleated Chanel dress that offered bouncy movement as she walked La Croisette. Meanwhile, Stellan Skarsgård offered a contemporary twist on red-carpet tailoring with a red-on-red Loewe look at the Histoires de la Nuit premiere.
The gallery also highlighted a range of textures and structural innovations, from Angèle Diabang Brener’s tangerine-coloured gown with gold detailing to Adèle Exarchopoulos’s padded Phoebe Philo top. As the festival closed, the visual narrative was defined by a blend of old Hollywood nods, such as John Travolta’s floppy beret, and modern rule-breaking, proving that the red carpet remains a space for both reverence and rebellion.