She has made headlines in recent years with her racy sheer dresses.
But Bella Hadid opted for a more conservative look than fans may be used to, as she returned to the red carpet for the Cannes Film Festival’s 2025 opening ceremony on Tuesday.
The model, 28, showed off her eye-catching new blonde hairstyle as she slipped into an elegant black gown with a thigh-high split for the premiere of Leave One Day.
Bella’s appearance was a far cry from the Cannes gowns of previous years, after organisers announced a ban on risqué or voluminous gowns, but she still ditched her bra while posing in her dress with revealing side splits.
Regardless, Bella still put on a showstopping display in her form-fitting dress, while showing off her model pins with the revealing split.
The star beamed as she made her way down the red carpet, no doubt her first of many at this year’s festival.
In the wake of Cannes Film Festival’s ban on risqué gowns, Bella Hadid opted for a more conservative look as she attended the opening ceremony on Tuesday
The model showed off her eye-catching new blonde hairstyle as she slipped into an elegant black gown with a thigh-high split for the premiere of Leave One Day
Bella still managed to add a racy twist to her outfit, by going braless in the dress which featured daring side splits
In 2021, Bella bared her cleavage in a plunging black gown while attending a screening of Tre Piani (Three Floors).
She pulled a similar stunt three years later, with guests at the 2024 gala left speechless after she attended the premiere of Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice completely braless beneath a sheer brown evening dress.
Over recent years the Cannes Film Festival has arguably won more attention for the outfits worn by its celebrity guests than the roster of feature films being screened on the Croisette.
But new nudity rules, devised for ‘the sake of decency,’ have been implemented at this year’s festival.
According to organisers, the austere move is an attempt to stifle the celebrity trend for ‘naked dresses’ – namely provocative outfits that reveal considerably more than they conceal – on the red carpet.
‘For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as any other area of the festival,’ states a Cannes festival document.
‘The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.’
The surprise new policy features in a recent festival-goers charter – released with a series of outlines regarding expected public behaviour.
The star showed off her model physique in the revealing black dress which boasted a Sєxy thigh-high split
Bella was in high spirits as she arrived for her first red carpet appearance at this year’s Cannes
Guests at the 2024 gala left speechless after Bella attended the premiere of Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice completely braless beneath a sheer brown evening dress
In 2021, Bella bared her cleavage in a plunging black gown while attending a screening of Tre Piani (Three Floors)
A giddy Bella was seen arriving for the red carpet alongside the Swiss co-President of Chopard Caroline Scheufele
Over recent years the Cannes Film Festival has arguably won more attention for the outfits worn by its celebrity guests than the roster of feature films being screened on the Croisette
But new nudity rules, devised for ‘the sake of decency,’ have been implemented at this year’s festival
According to organisers, the austere move is an attempt to stifle the celebrity trend for ‘naked dresses’ – namely provocative outfits that reveal considerably more than they conceal
Read More Bella Hadid insists all women should get two weeks off work when menstruating
Guests are expected to converge on the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière for some of the highest profile film screenings across a packed two-week schedule in Cannes.
It’s understood that the iconic venue now adopts a more conservative dress code, with suits, dinner jackets and floor-length evening gowns generally favoured over headline grabbing ensembles.
Classic little black dresses, cocktail dresses, pant-suits, dressy tops and elegant sandals, ‘with or without a heel’, will also be permitted.
While the decision to implement a more stringent policy will be a first, it is not known if French TV broadcasters, wary of airing nudity, played a role in its enforcement.
Major red carpet events, including the Cannes Film Festival, are aired in France by France Télévisions
Recently attracting more models and influencers than actors and filmmakers, the annual ceremony has seen an increase in risque red carpet fashion statements.
This year’s Cannes Film Festival is also taking place in the wake of Trump´s vow to enact tariffs on international films.
Cannes, where filmmakers, sales agents and journalists gather from around the world, is the Olympics of the big screen, with its own golden prize, the Palme d´Or, to give out at the end.
Filmmakers come from nearly every corner of the globe to showcase their films while dealmakers work through the night to sell finished films or packaged productions to various territories.
‘You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation,’ says Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, who´s returning to Cannes with ‘The Secret Agent, a thriller set during Brazil´s dictatorship.
‘You´ve got to really prepare for the whole experience because it´s quite intense – not very far from the feeling of approaching a roller coaster as you go up the steps at the Palais.’
Trump sent shock waves through Hollywood and the international film community when he announced on May 4 that all movies “produced in Foreign Lands” will face 100% tariffs.
The surprise new policy features in a recent festival-goers charter – released with a series of outlines regarding expected public behaviour
It’s understood that the iconic venue now adopts a more conservative dress code, with suits, dinner jackets and floor-length evening gowns generally favoured
Classic little black dresses, cocktail dresses, pant-suits, dressy tops and elegant sandals, ‘with or without a heel’, will also be permitted
While the decision to implement a more stringent policy will be a first, it is not known if French TV broadcasters, wary of airing nudity, played a role in its enforcement
Recently attracting more models and influencers than actors and filmmakers, the annual ceremony has seen an increase in risque red carpet fashion statements
This year’s Cannes Film Festival is also taking place in the wake of Trump´s vow to enact tariffs on international films
The White House has said no final decisions have been made. Options being explored include federal incentives for U.S.-based productions, rather than tariffs. But the announcement was a reminder of how international tensions can destabilize even the oldest cultural insтιтutions.
The Cannes Film Festival originally emerged in the World War II years, when the rise of fascism in Italy led to the founding of an alternative to the then-government controlled Venice Film Festival.
In the time since, Cannes´ resolute commitment to cinema has made it a beacon to filmmakers. Countless directors have come to make their name.
This year is no different, though some of the first-time filmmakers at Cannes are already particularly well-known. Kristen Stewart (The Chronology of Water), Scarlett Johansson (Eleanor the Great) and Harris Dickinson (Urchin) will all be unveiling their feature directorial debuts in Cannes´ Un Certain Regard sidebar section.
Many Cannes veterans will be back, too, including Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning), Robert De Niro – who´s to receive an honorary Palme d´Or 49 years after Taxi Driver premiered in Cannes – and Quentin Tarantino, to pay tribute to low-budget Western director George Sherman.
The much-anticipated eighth and final instalment of Mission Impossible is one of the earlier premieres on this year’s Cannes calendar, with its glitzy red carpet taking place on Wednesday, May 14.
Meanwhile Scarlett’s directorial debut Eleanor The Great, will be unveiled on May 20.
However, in the wake of his legal battle with former co-star Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni is not expected to attend.