Cannes 2026: The best red carpet looks from Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Taylor Russell and others | Canada Voices

More than a showcase of film and fashion, Cannes is where international auteurs, rising stars and global icons converge. Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes or even the Met Gala, the French festival clings to an old-world dress code that has, at times, landed the prestigious event in hot water.

This year, Cannes loosened its rules only slightly, with the official website stating that “evening wear (long dress, tuxedo) is required” and denouncing naked looks or excessive volume as inappropriate. Acceptable options included “a little black dress,” cocktail dress, dark coloured pantsuit, dressy top and black pants, elegant shoes or sandals “with or without a heel (no sneakers),” as well as a “black or navy-blue suit with bow tie or dark-coloured tie.”

Within those parameters, the movie premieres and opening and closing ceremonies delivered a polished mix of convention and modernity. Standouts included tailored tuxedos from a new guard of stylish leading men alongside sweeping ball gowns from a grouping of screen legends.

Aside from a notable rule-testing moment from Canadian design provocateurs Matières Fécales – Demi Moore wore an oversized, Barbie-meets-the Substance ballgown from the label’s politically charged fall 2026 collection – the red carpet remained largely in check.

Here are 15 of the best looks across the two-week festival.

Léa Seydoux

French actor Léa Seydoux thrilled fashion fans in a Louis Vuitton three-piece suit that stood out against the season’s frills and ballgowns. Blending influences from Canali and Brioni tailoring with Saint Laurent’s iconic “Le Smoking” tuxedo, the star completed her sharp look with Louis Vuitton high jewellery.

Taylor Russell

For the premiere of sci-fi drama Hope, Canada’s Taylor Russell stunned in a pleated, gleaming Schiaparelli gown that read as both apropos and avant-garde. Designed with elongated sleeves and a sculptural, turtleneck-inspired bodice, the look was paired with pointed mules and oval sunglasses, cementing the Vancouver-born actor and filmmaker’s place in the Cannes fashion hall of fame.

Joan Collins

It was as though the 93-year-old screen legend had stepped straight out of Dynasty and into the French Riviera, reviving Alexis Colby’s decadence in honour of the show’s 45th anniversary this year. For Cannes’s opening ceremony, she commanded attention in a dramatic custom Stéphane Rolland Haute Couture creation. The sculptural white orchid gown was cut in silk crepe and accessorized with chandelier earrings and jet-black opera gloves.

Théodore Pellerin

Québécois actor Théodore Pellerin was selected as a jury member this year, yet his presence at Cannes went beyond his behind-the-scenes duties. He turned heads in a Loewe suit paired with a Boucheron brooch, delivering one of the festival’s most polished looks. It’s no wonder Tom Ford selected Pellerin to star in the designer-turned-director’s upcoming film, Cry to Heaven.

Niels Schneider

French-Canadian actor Niels Schneider has been steadily shaping his fashion identity, evolving from early roles in Xavier Dolan’s I Killed My Mother and Heartbeats to the global stage at Cannes. At the festival, he delivered leading man energy in a Louis Vuitton navy double-breasted suit with patent leather LV Jazz derbies, signalling a confident new chapter in his red carpet career.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda glistened in a sequin Gucci gown, sculpted in a sleek, body-hugging silhouette. She elevated the look with Pomellato high jewellery that called to mind the fictional Heart of the Ocean Titanic necklace, centred by a 46.34-carat cabochon-cut aquamarine framed in diamonds and white gold links.

Win Metawin

The best man bling at Cannes goes to Thai actor Win Metawin, who elevated his tux with two sparkling Tiffany Bird on a Rock brooches – each featuring birds carrying cushion-cut and emerald-cut aquamarines of 15 and 45 carats. Legendary French jewellery designer Jean Schlumberger first designed the pieces in 1965.

Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu

Only Sylvie from Emily in Paris could confidently take a frilly Saint Laurent gown previously worn by Beyoncé (the R&B queen posted it on her Instagram a few weeks ago) and reinvent it for the red carpet. Designed by Anthony Vaccarello, the look was restyled for a screening of La Vénus électrique, where the French actor completed her outfit with a diamond choker with 21 Paraíba tourmalines from Pomellato.

Alton Mason

Audiences will remember Alton Mason’s scene-stealing turn as Little Richard in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 film Elvis. At Cannes, the model, dancer and actor appeared in a bold all-black Vivienne Westwood look with an open shirt that had the internet crowning him the prince of #shirtmaxxing. For his latest venture, he serves as co-producer on the upcoming documentary Michael Jackson: A Celebration.

Natasha Poly

Supermodel Natasha Poly captivated in a Ferragamo fall 2026 gown designed by Maximilian Davis. The dress stands out as one of the house’s most artful recent designs, showcasing a more sculptural vision. The look featured pleating in a bell jar-like silhouette, finished with Swarovski-embellished Ferragamo shoes and Chaumet jewels.

Ruth Negga

Minimal, but never boring. It’s a fashion philosophy Canadian stylist Karla Welch has mastered with stars from Greta Gerwig to Justin Bieber. For her longtime collaboration with Ruth Negga – a Cannes jury member – the pair chose an all-white look from Celine’s fall 2026 collection. Rendered in satin with a delicate scarf tie and finished with the French house’s caged heel sandals, the ensemble served as the ultimate red carpet palate cleanser.

Diego Calva

While there were plenty of menswear missteps – John Travolta and his panned white beret, Steven Soderbergh violating the Cannes dress code in Adidas Sambas – Mexican actor Diego Calva made many of the festival’s leading men look like a fashion footnote. Wearing a chic black velvet tux by Louis Vuitton and a Cartier watch to the premiere of Club Kid, Calva and his stylist, Ilaria Urbinati, should have been awarded a Palme d’Or for best dressed.

Ikram Abdi Omar

Swedish-born Somali runway model Ikram Abdi Omar attended the Cannes opening ceremony in a sleek white Stella McCartney look paired with Pasquale Bruni jewellery. The outfit comes from McCartney’s fall 2025 “Laptop to Lapdance” collection, designed to transition from boardroom to dance floor.

Javier Ambrossi

Sometimes going classic pays off – something Spanish director Javier Ambrossi understood all too well with his choice of a fine tailored tuxedo by Saint Laurent. The look, worn to the Cannes premiere of his film La Bola Negra – which reportedly received a 20-minute standing ovation – is worth clapping for.

Tilda Swinton

One of the festival’s most anticipated arrivals, Tilda Swinton delivered in Chanel’s spring 2026 couture collection. The Matthieu Blazy-designed look sliced through the carpet like a laser beam. Crafted in silk velvet and streaked with white, cobalt, silver, navy and sky blue, the ensemble conjured many genres at once: dark comedy, psychological drama and romance.