Organisers of this year’s Cannes Film Festival cast a conservative shadow over the red carpet with the release of a new dress code noting that, “for decency reasons, nudity is prohibited”.

The rule was seen as an attempt to tamp down on so-called naked dressing, a trend that in recent years has inspired more people to wear less coverage as a way to get attention.

Whether it stopped people from showing skin was debatable. But it certainly didn’t stop stars from making waves with their appearances.

Read more: No nudity please, we're Cannes! Film festival bans 'nude' red carpet dresses

Some, like actor Jeremy Strong, took Cannes as an opportunity to test colour palettes: He wore a range of pastels (purple, green, salmon) that would rival the selection at an Easter egg hunt.

Others, like model Bella Hadid, used the festival to debut new hair (she went blond).

Of all the clothes on display at Cannes, which ended Saturday, these looks were some of the most memorable for myriad reasons – nakedness mostly not among them. – ©2025 The New York Times Company

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.