Old habits appeared to die hard on Tuesday evening as a host of guests more familiar with fashion than film appeared to defy a new red carpet crackdown at the 78th annual Film Festival.
New nudity rules, devised for 'the sake of decency,' were implemented as French director Amélie Bonnin's Leave One Day opened the ceremony.
But an array of models and actresses, led by ceremony veteran Bella Hadid, appeared to flout the rule by baring flesh as they walked the Cannes Croisette ahead of Tuesday's screening.
She went braless and opted for a thigh-high slit to complete her racy Cannes look, amid the new crackdown on risqué outfits.
Meanwhile, supermodel Heidi Klum, 51, wowed in pink as she graced the screening of Partir Un Jour in a ruffled gown that resembled flowers and featured a long train.
Eva Longoria, 50, turned heads at the event in a stunning gold and black mirrored gown, flaunting her model figure.
And jury president Juliette Binoche, 61, cut a radiant figure in in a cream satin cowled top with a hood.
In high spirits, she tapped her foot and nodded her head along to Madonna’s Vogue which was playing on the loudspeakers.
Halle Berry was also in attendance as she posed up a storm in a black and white sleeveless striped dress for her Film Festival look.
She was joined by models Irina Shayk and Shanina Shaik, who commanded attention in glittering black numbers.
Russian model Irina, 39, looked nothing short of sensational in a strapless black ballgown with large puffball sleeves and a white polka dot design.
Australian model Shanina, 34, posed up a storm in a unique dress boasting a diamante-encrusted maxi skirt and a corset-style top half.
Julia Garner, 31, showcased her incredible figure in a sheer black maxi dress layered over a nude gown, featuring a thigh-high slit.
Alessandra Ambrosio looked incredible in green as she was joined by Eva Longoria who turned heads at the event in a stunning gold and black gown.
Cannes ruled 'no nudity' this year – and also asked the A listers who make their way up that famous 22 step red carpet to steer clear of 'excessively voluminous' clothing.
That didn't stop the dozens of actresses and models who attended the opening night ceremony from going all out with trains, diamonds, ruffles, netting… and gowns as plunging and as brief as decency would allow.
Model and TV presenter Heidi's cascading ruffled pink Ellie Saab dress, handstitched with individual pink gradient organza petals and a 12 foot train means perhaps she hadn’t heard that the rules had changed.
To be fair, they only announced the decree 24 hours before the opening ceremony, giving stylists on the Riviera collective heart failure.
Models Alessandra and Irina both opted for deeply plunging strapless dresses.
Jury member Halle even confided that she had had to re-plan her wardrobe as her initial choice was ‘too big’ wore a modest halter-necked monochrome striped dress.
At a press conference earlier in the day she said: 'I had an amazing dress by Gupta to wear tonight, and I cannot wear it because the train is too big.
'Of course, I'm going to follow the rules, so I had to make a pivot. But the nudity part, I do think, is probably also a good move.' Which may come as a surprise to anyone who remembers her crotch-flashing sheer panelled dress at the Met Gala ball last week.
The ceremony was a big night for Robert De Niro who was awarded the Honorary Palme d'Or award for lifetime achievement, presented to him by Leonardo DiCaprio.
The pair first starred together in the 1993 film This Boy’s Life and then again in Killiers Of The Flower Moon in 2023. He was also joined on stage by film director Quentin Tarantino who Robert worked with in the 1997 film Jackie Brown.
It comes after Eva Longoria looked radiant in a chiffon yellow midi-dress as she joined a host of celebrity jury members ahead of the opening ceremony of Cannes Film Festival.
The Desperate Housewives star, 50, joined fellow jury members Halle Berry and Julia Garner, as well as president Juliette Binoche, for a photo call on Tuesday.
Eva looked elegant in the swishing pale yellow sleeves dress as she basked in the sunshine leaving Hotel Martinez ahead of the opening ceremony later that evening.
Meanwhile Halle strutted through the French city in a black tweed two piece - after having to swap her outfit at the last minute due to the festival's new nudity ban.
The A-listers were seen posing for snaps with jury members Carlos Reygadas, Payal Kapadia, Leila Slimani, Jeremy Strong, Dieudo Hamadi, Alba Rohrwacher and Hong Sang-soo.
Succession actor Jeremy was seen sporting a 225,000 euro watch and a bucket hat as he attended the Palme D'Or, this year honouring Robert De Niro.
Other stars spotted out and about ahead of the opening ceremony were model Shanina Shaik, actress Andie MacDowell and honouree himself De Niro - who attended with his partner Tiffany Chen.
Inventing Anna actress Julia also made an appearance, looking impeccably chic in a black suede A-line mini-dress with a high neckline.
Meanwhile Jury President Juliette looked stylish in a butter yellow jumpsuit, which featured a dramatic statement collar with a fitted bodice and buckled belt.
Actress Andie MacDowell was among the stars in attendance, as she was seen leaving Hotel Martinez in a light grey suede oversized biker jacket and knee-length skirt.
Australian model looked effortlessly sophisticated in a relaxed grey co-ord, consisting of a longline high-neck blouse and tailored trousers.
This year's festival has officially placed a ban on 'nudity' and 'voluminous outfits'.
The annual event - which is returning for the 78th time and is one of the most prestigious festivals in the movie industry's calendar - has updated its red carpet dress code in time for today's (13.05.25) opening, with certain fashion trends not allowed.
The official charter reads: 'For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in any other area of the festival.
'Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theater are not permitted. The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.'
Actress Halle spoke out on the ban as she said: 'I had an amazing dress… to wear tonight, and I cannot wear because the train is too big.
'So I, of course, am going to follow the rules. had to make a pivot, but the nudity part, I do think is probably also a good rule.'
The actress looked nothing short of sensational in the fitted plunging number which showed off her amazing figure.
She elevated her frame in a pair of towering coordinated heels and accessorised with a simple pair of drop earrings.
Styling her long brunette tresses in a half up do in waves, the Desperate Housewives star wore a glamorous palette of L'Oréal makeup, complete with a swipe of bold red lipstick.
Eva held onto her teams arms as she carefully made her way down the hotel staircase before sipping on a hot beverage.
The Land of Women star flashed her gorgeous smile as she made her way through the hotel lobby while holding onto a pair of sunglasses.
Earlier in the day, Eva took to Instagram and shared that she has worked with L'Oréal for 20 years as she posed with a number of gold balloons on her lavish bed.
She also shared a glimpse into her glam squad creating her stunning look for the day as multiple stylist diffused her hair and worked on her makeup.
Eva looked in good spirits as she relaxed in a dressing gown while also having her nails done for the occasion.
This year's Cannes Film Festival is taking place in the wake of Trump´s vow to enact tariffs on international films.
Cannes, where filmmakers, sales agents and journalists gather from around the world, is the Olympics of the big screen, with its own golden prize, the Palme d´Or, to give out at the end.
Filmmakers come from nearly every corner of the globe to showcase their films while dealmakers work through the night to sell finished films or packaged productions to various territories.
'You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation,' says Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, who´s returning to Cannes with 'The Secret Agent, a thriller set during Brazil´s dictatorship.
'You've got to really prepare for the whole experience because it´s quite intense - not very far from the feeling of approaching a roller coaster as you go up the steps at the Palais.'
Trump sent shock waves through Hollywood and the international film community when he announced on May 4 that all movies 'produced in Foreign Lands' will face 100% tariffs.
The White House has said no final decisions have been made. Options being explored include federal incentives for U.S.-based productions, rather than tariffs. But the announcement was a reminder of how international tensions can destabilize even the oldest cultural institutions.
The Cannes Film Festival originally emerged in the World War II years, when the rise of fascism in Italy led to the founding of an alternative to the then-government controlled Venice Film Festival.
In the time since, Cannes´ resolute commitment to cinema has made it a beacon to filmmakers. Countless directors have come to make their name.
Eva Longoria opts for a casual sweater and joggers as she arrives in Cannes
This year is no different, though some of the first-time filmmakers at Cannes are already particularly well-known. Kristen Stewart (The Chronology of Water), Scarlett Johansson (Eleanor the Great) and Harris Dickinson (Urchin) will all be unveiling their feature directorial debuts in Cannes´ Un Certain Regard sidebar section.
The much-anticipated eighth and final instalment of Mission Impossible is one of the earlier premieres on this year's Cannes calendar, with its glitzy red carpet taking place on Wednesday, May 14.
Meanwhile Scarlett's directorial debut Eleanor The Great, will be unveiled on May 20.
However, in the wake of his legal battle with former co-star Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni is not expected to attend.
