Cannes 2025 bans nude dresses, dresses with long tails: Where does this fashion trend come from?

German model Heidi Klum wore a design that evoked a blooming flower, with layers of fabric like blooming petals, creating a long train that covered the red carpet on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival - Photo: AFP

Every May, the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival often causes a stir because of the daring costumes rather than the films shown.

However, this year, without waiting until the opening day of May 13, the fashion theme at Cannes quickly sparked many debates after the organizers issued a new dress code, emphasizing modesty and convenience for the organization.

Still, a handful of prominent faces have chosen to ignore these rules, continuing the festival's long tradition of rebellion, which dates back to artists as diverse as Pablo Picasso.

Marilyn Monroe turned the nude dress into a global phenomenon

The organizers stated: "For reasons of public morality, all forms of nudity are prohibited on the red carpet as well as in any area of ​​the festival."

This regulation is aimed directly at the naked dress trend - outfits with open backs, off-shoulders, cutouts or using thin, transparent fabrics to create the effect of being naked.

The most recent was Bianca Censori's (rapper Kanye West's wife) nude dress at the Grammy Awards earlier this year.

Bianca Censori took off her fur coat and showed off her body in a completely transparent outfit, showing off all her skin on the 2025 Grammy red carpet - Photo: AFP

However, the concept of "nude dress" was not always associated with the blatant display of skin as it is today.

According to fashion researcher Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell in an interview with BBC Culture in 2023, when it appeared in the 1930s, the term referred to strapless dresses, which were considered too daring at that time.

The essence of the nude dress lies not only in the fragility of the material, but also in the visual effect that makes the wearer look as if she is wearing nothing, or at least creates an illusion for the viewer.

One of the first to popularize this style was American star Jean Harlow in the movie Bombshell (1933), with a cream silk halter-neck dress that hugged her curves.

The $5 million dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in 1962 - Photo: Daily Mail

But it was Marilyn Monroe who made the nude dress a global phenomenon. In 1962, she wore a skin-colored, sequined nude dress designed by French-American designer Jean Louis to sing Happy Birthday to US President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden.

Interestingly, the dress, considered offensive by today's Cannes standards, was once hailed as a symbol of seductive power in the era of Marilyn Monroe.

The Daily Mail once quoted designer Bob Mackie - Jean Louis's collaborator: "The dress creates an illusion: you think you're seeing something, but you're not. It's a magical simplicity, but so powerful."

Supermodel Bella Hadid caused a stir when she wore a backless dress with a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit on the opening day of this year's Cannes Film Festival - Photo: AFP

Many stars later inherited this style such as Beyoncé, Emily Ratajkowski, Kate Moss... If we had to choose a contemporary icon of this dress style at Cannes, it would have to be Bella Hadid.

The American supermodel has repeatedly caused a stir on the red carpet with her daring outfits. This year, she wore a black Saint Laurent design with an open back, a plunging neckline, and a thigh-high slit that reached her hips. Despite being a subtle "rule-breaker," the dress immediately became a media sensation.

Long skirts were a trend during Queen Victoria's time.

Another less controversial rule is a ban on dresses with long skirts. “Bulky outfits, especially dresses with skirts that are too large, hinder the movement of guests and complicate the seating arrangements in the theater,” the organizers said.

The origins of the long train date back to Victorian aesthetics, when clothing was designed to preserve modesty and modesty for women – the longer the better. Even the hands were covered with gloves.

Dresses with voluminous skirts were a classic fashion trend during Queen Victoria's time - Photo: Pinterest

However, the inconvenience in daily life caused designers to gradually simplify the shape, paving the way for the appearance of the hobble skirt trend in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Until now, the long skirt still exists, but mainly in wedding dresses.

Although the 2025 Cannes Film Festival did not specify how long a skirt is considered "excessive," the rule was strict enough that this year's actress and judge - Halle Berry - had to abandon her original dress by Indian designer Gaurav Gupta.

At the judges' press conference, she shared: "I have a beautiful Gupta dress that I was going to wear tonight, but I can't wear it because the skirt is too big."

Wan Tian Hui breaks Cannes rules, wears long, flowing dress to show off - Photo: AFP

However, the opening day was not completely devoid of long dresses. German supermodel Heidi Klum wore a 3m long organza ruffle design by Elie Saab.

Meanwhile, Chinese actress Wan Tianhui also attracted attention with a white, layered, long-sleeved, busty dress that looked like clouds, from the Wang Feng Couture brand.

The above regulations of Cannes will be a challenge for stylist teams to explore new materials, designs and ideas.

And perhaps, in that context, the Cannes red carpet did not lose its heat, it still exploded - just in a different way, more subtle and brave.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cannes-2025-cam-vay-khoa-than-vay-co-duoi-dai-xu-huong-thoi-trang-nay-bat-nguon-tu-dau-20250517124947129.htm