Cannes 2025: Bella Hadid masters the new dress code in daring Saint Laurent cut-out gown

Cannes 2025: Bella Hadid masters the new dress code in daring Saint Laurent cut-out gown

Supermodel Bella Hadid once again proved that rules are meant to be bent—if not broken—at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. As the festival rolled out its newly enforced red carpet dress code, banning nude dresses, long trains, and voluminous gowns, Bella made a striking appearance that played by the rules, but still oozed sensuality.

Wearing a custom Saint Laurent gown by Anthony Vaccarello, Bella effortlessly found a loophole in the modesty mandate. Her dress, though sleek and seemingly conservative at first glance, turned out to be a masterclass in suggestive elegance—featuring strategic cut-outs, a thigh-high slit, and a backless criss-cross design.

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Bella arrived in the French Riviera with freshly dyed blonde hair, styled in a soft side part with sculpted face-framing strands. The black Saint Laurent gown boasted a cowl neckline, sleeveless halter straps, and a floor-length silhouette that hugged her figure. But the real highlight? The skin-baring cut-outs down one side and across the front, perfectly positioned to offer a tasteful amount of edge.

She completed the ensemble with rhinestone Saint Laurent sandals and show-stopping Chopard jewelry, including emerald and diamond earrings and a bold diamond ring. Her makeup added to the allure—kohl-rimmed eyes, smokey pink eyeshadow, winged liner, and caramel-hued lips brought drama to the look without overpowering the sleek gown.

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This year, Cannes introduced a stricter dress code aimed at curbing outfits deemed “indecent” or impractical. An official statement outlined that nudity-promoting ensembles, as well as gowns with long trains or exaggerated silhouettes, would not be permitted to ensure smoother guest movement and seating.

While this announcement sparked mixed reactions in the fashion world, Bella’s appearance showed how creativity can coexist with constraint. By sidestepping the rules with clever design instead of overt defiance, she became one of the early scene-stealers of the festival.