Cannes 2024 Festival: An opportunity for fashion brands to stand out from the crowd

On Tuesday 14 May 2024, the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival opened. For brands, the event provides an opportunity to shine on the red carpet, while also getting exposure through positioning. Dior, Saint Laurent and Saiid Kobeisy are just some of the names gracing the occasion this year.

For the opening ceremony, Dior made its mark by dressing actresses Meryl Streep (honouree of this year’s Palme d’Or); Juliette Binoche, who presented Streep with the award; and Camille Cottin, the master of ceremonies. The French label also dressed French actors Louis Garrel and Raphaël Quenard, who came to present French comedy ‘The Second Act’, by Quentin Dupieux.

Zhao Tao, Émilie Dequenne and Camille Cottin in Dior. *Credits: Dior.*

One outfit that caused a sensation was that of the Barbie director Greta Gerwig, who is head of this year’s Cannes dury and showed up dressed in a sequinned Saint Laurent gown with a deep décolleté. The same went for actress Emmanuelle Béart, Caméra d’Or’s president, who chose a long black velvet coat.

Greta Gerwig in Saint Laurent. *Credits: Saint Laurent.*

Saint Laurent Productions continues descent into filmmaking

Saint Laurent Productions, created in 2023 by the French luxury brand Saint Laurent, is present at the festival through three feature films, each in competition for the official 2024 selection: ‘Emilia Perez’ by Jacques Audiard, ‘Les Linceuls’ by David Cronenberg and ‘Parthenope’ by Paolo Sorrentino. For Anthony Vaccarello, artistic director, this is an opportunity to also handle the costumes for these prestigious directors.

The Kering group, owner of Saint Laurent, has another feat of arms to its credit. Initially shunned by the brands for the walk up the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès steps, the crew of the French film ‘A Little Something Extra’ ensured that one of the group’s brands will be making an appearance this time round.

Campaign for Emilia Perez by Jacques Audiard featuring Selena Gomez for Saint Laurent Productions. *Credits: Saint Laurent Productions.*

Alas, it can be hard for some to secure a high quality look for the event. “It’s more elegant to dress Brad Pitt,” director Artus, whose film is already a box-office hit, told local radio network France Inter in relation to the difficulty behind dressing lesser-known actors for the red carpet. “[Brands] come up with stories about quotas, saying ‘We’ve already lent out all our costumes’,” he explained, sceptically.

Stars go off the beaten track to promote lesser-known brands

Another major trend on the red carpet is stars opting to forego the benefits (and remuneration) offered by luxury brands in order to promote a lesser-known brand on the red carpet. As Lebanese designer Tony Ward explained to FashionUnited: “The red carpet has become very financial. The houses pay or cover the cost of transport and accommodation. The budgets are 50,000 to 100,000 dollars. Imagine how pretty the piece has to be to be worn by someone you’re not paying.”

On this first evening of the festival, for example, model Heidi Klum chose to wear a creation by a Lebanese designer who is little known in the fashion world: Saiid Kobeisy, while Chinese actress Liya Tong was dressed by Russian designer Yanina Couture.