The Cannes Film Festival sent shockwaves around the fashion world this week when it announced that “for decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in any other area of the festival.”
On top of the ban on naked dresses, as seen on Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid on the Cannes red carpet, the festival added: “voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre are not permitted”.
With this in mind, we immediately realised that the iconic dress worn by Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas’ daughter, Carys Douglas, in 2023 would no longer be appropriate.
Carys Douglas’ sheer gown
For the 2023 film festival, Carys donned a cut-out floral dress with sheer panels. The princess-worthy gown was a backless design, with crossover straps across her shoulders.
© Daniele VenturelliWhile it didn’t flout the voluminous rule thanks to the fairly humble skirt, the figure-baring nature of the dress likely wouldn’t fly with the new rules.
Carys wore the dress during the event to honour which saw her father receive the lifetime achievement award, with the Hollywood offspring calling the soiree “the most wonderful evening!”
She added: “It was an honor to celebrate my father as he received his lifetime achievement Palm D’Or. Bon festival!”
A close bond
Michael is equally proud of his daughter, who celebrated her 22nd birthday in April. He shared a photo of her, marking a double celebration, writing: “Happy Birthday my darling daughter Carys! Congratulations on graduation! I am proud of you.”
Catherine marked the day too, sharing three photos of her daughter, one in the Cannes dress of dreams. “Happy Birthday to my darling daughter Carys. 22 today!!! You are the joy of my life. I love you to Neptune and back. May this year bring you everything you dream of,” Catherine wrote.
© Gisela SchoberThe Cannes ban
The blanket ban on naked dresses at Cannes has ruffled feathers in both the fashion and film worlds, with HELLO! Fashion’s Fashion Features Writer Tania Leslau saying of the decision: “The nudity ban seems like a subtle weaponisation of the female body, as if it’s something to fear rather than honour.
“While I’m not a fan of cheaply-made ‘barely-there’ dresses à la Shein, nudity (when done well) can be a celebration of the female form (Think Kate Moss’ iconic sheer 90s slip dress.) Lee McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Tom Ford all incorporated elements of nudity into their collections, creating a mix of shock and sensuality.
© Getty“Nudity on the red carpet can help to reclaim the female body – which for so long has been objectified in the media,” she concludes.
As the festival goes on, we look forward to seeing how the stars take to the new rule.
