CANNES, France — The 79th Cannes Film Festival closed Saturday, May 23, 2026 at the Palais des Festivals, capping a 12-day run that delivered some of the year’s most-discussed red carpet looks. Jury member Demi Moore, model Bella Hadid and 23-year festival veteran Aishwarya Rai Bachchan led the Cannes 2026 closing ceremony fashion conversation, with Chanel, Schiaparelli, Tony Ward Couture and Cheney Chan Couture dominating the final weekend.
The closing weekend’s headline moment came courtesy of Hadid, who wore a custom ivory Schiaparelli gown that required 22,160 hours of embroidery work by 130 artisans. Moore closed her jury duty in a hot pink Matières Fécales fall 2026 ballgown, while Rai Bachchan shut down the official ceremony in all-white Cheney Chan Couture. For full-festival context, see our coverage of the Cannes 2026 opening red carpet.
Closing Ceremony Red Carpet: May 23
The official closing ceremony at the Palais des Festivals emphasized architectural tailoring, feathered embellishment and unexpected designer choices. The carpet skewed away from predictable strapless duchess satin, with several principals opting for tailoring, sequin work and embroidery.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Closes in Cheney Chan Couture
Rai Bachchan, marking her 23rd consecutive Cannes appearance, walked the closing carpet in an all-white Cheney Chan couture pantsuit. The look featured silver-embellished lapels, lace trousers and a dramatic white feather boa. Longtime stylist Mohit Rai directed the closing moment, continuing the actress’s recent shift toward less conventional couture pairings.
Tilda Swinton, Zoe Saldana and Eva Longoria
- Tilda Swinton: Chanel paired with Cartier jewelry at the closing ceremony.
- Zoe Saldana: Stage presenter inside the Palais in a dramatic black floral gown.
- Eva Longoria: Custom strapless Tony Ward Couture gown in gold and silver with sequined ovals engineered to reflect sunlight, finished with Garatti jewelry. Longoria is a longtime L’Oréal Paris ambassador.
- Geena Davis: Pamella Roland gown with Chopard jewelry.
- Malgosia Bela: Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann.
Bella Hadid’s Schiaparelli Gown: 22,160 Hours in the Making
Hadid’s most-discussed look of the festival arrived earlier in the closing stretch. She wore a custom ivory Schiaparelli Haute Couture trompe-l’œil lace gown at the May 20 premiere of “La Bataille De Gaulle: L’Âge De Fer.” Creative director Daniel Roseberry designed the dress, which required 22,160 hours of embroidery work by 130 artisans, according to WWD.
Construction details included trompe-l’œil lace embroidery in cords and anchor threads, a plunging neckline, tiered mermaid train, black corset lace at the back, and a black jeweled waist element with teardrop accents. The design referenced Jane Birkin’s crochet floral gown worn at the Union of the Artists gala in Paris in 1969, and was sculpted over a nude bodysuit to produce a defined hourglass silhouette.
Stylist Mimi Cuttrell finished the look with Chopard jewelry; Hadid serves as a Chopard brand ambassador. For her earlier appearance, see Bella Hadid’s Jimmy Choo look at Cannes Day 7.
Demi Moore: The Jury’s Fashion Standout
Moore served on the 2026 Cannes jury throughout the 12-day festival, generating a sustained fashion narrative across the carpet. Her standout closing-stretch look was a hot pink Matières Fécales fall 2026 ballgown with a raw hem and oversized bow, worn at the “Paper Tiger” screening — a marked departure from her recent form-fitting silhouettes. She also wore a purple Gucci organza gown earlier in the festival.
“When Demi and I were brainstorming about Cannes, I just said to her, ‘Look, what I’m really feeling for you right now is like a super colorful, optimistic, vibrant, kind of effervescent presence on the carpet.'” — Brad Goreski, stylist to Demi Moore
For Moore’s earlier festival appearance, see Demi Moore’s Jacquemus look at the jury photo call.
What Dominated Cannes 2026 Fashion
Five trend currents defined the closing weekend and the festival overall:
- Architectural silhouettes: Power tailoring and pantsuit looks closed the festival, led by Rai Bachchan.
- Feathered and embroidered embellishment: From feather boas to 22,160 hours of trompe-l’œil lace.
- Dramatic bows: Most visibly on Moore’s Matières Fécales gown.
- Emerging couture choices: Matières Fécales and Cheney Chan Couture signaled a move away from predictable strapless duchess satin toward personal style-driven dressing.
- Footwear shift: Wedge sandals and loafers joined stilettos on the Croisette.
Chanel and Schiaparelli led house presence, with Balenciaga, Gucci and Tony Ward Couture close behind. Penélope Cruz in all-Chanel at Cannes 2026 earlier in the run underscored the house’s full-festival visibility, while opening-week looks from Heidi Klum in Elie Saab at opening night set the architectural tone that carried into closing weekend. Riley Keough’s sheer Chanel at Cannes reinforced the boundary-pushing thread running through the festival’s 12 days.
Footwear watchers will recognize the wedge sandal trend confirmed at Cannes 2026 as one of the more practical takeaways from the Croisette. For broader 2026 red carpet context, see our ACM Awards 2026 red carpet coverage from earlier this month.
