Cannes no nudity red carpet rule: Is this the end of OTT red carpet fashion at Cannes?

Dubai: In a plot twist worthy of a Palme d'Or, the Cannes Film Festival has reportedly declared a firm “non” to two red carpet staples: gratuitous nudity and over-the-top, tulle-choked gowns with mile-long trains.

Somewhere in a luxury suite on the French Riviera, a stylist is hyperventilating into a couture garment bag while a star stares at a now-redundant see-through look with regret.

And really, can we blame them for initially leaning into the excess? When someone like Bianca Censori shows up at the Grammys wrapped in little more than a sheer illusion and bravado, the fashion bar isn't just raised—it’s removed entirely. The memo seemed to be: go big, go bare, or go home.

But Cannes is not the Grammys. This is cinema’s most sophisticated catwalk, not a shock-value spectacle. While it’s long celebrated sartorial drama, there’s a difference between elegance and exhibitionism—and this year, the festival appears to be drawing that line in French lace.

Gone (hopefully) are the days when a dress’s train required its own handler. Think Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s dramatic gown or Deepika Padukone’s pink tulle gown that practically ate the red carpet whole. Memorable? Yes. Subtle? Absolutely not.

This new no-nudity, no-train directive could throw a serious spanner in the glam game for many red carpet regulars—especially someone like Aishwarya, who has made voluminous drama her Cannes signature.

From flower bomb gowns to frothy confections with trains longer than some careers, Aishwarya has never met a red carpet she didn’t want to dominate like a couture empress.

But with the festival pushing for restraint over runway theatrics, even she might have to trade in the drama for a dose of minimalism. Imagine that—Aishwarya in a sleek column gown instead of a red carpet-consuming spectacle. Now that’s a plot twist.

Expect a pivot: Sleek tailoring, archival elegance, whisper-soft glamour—the kind that whispers icon instead of screaming Instagram thirst trap.

Think of Zendaya's vintage Roberto Cavalli moment or Cate Blanchett’s reworked sustainable couture. Fashion that lingers, not shouts.

So here’s to the great red carpet reset. The real challenge now? Standing out without stripping down or dragging a tent across the Croisette. Game on.