There are few things more dependable in this wild, unpredictable world than the Cannes Film Festival’s commitment to pomp, circumstance, and creative interpretations of black tie. But, as the Associated Press reports in its rundown of this year’s festival policies, 2025 brings an explicit new clause: nudity is now officially banned on the red carpet. That’s right—anyone hoping to make their international fashion debut in little more than a strategic glimmer and some bravado will need to find a different backdrop.

Out with the Nudity—In with the Explicit Rules

Cannes has always prided itself on being the red carpet’s most tightly curated catwalk, favoring ceremony—and yes, a dash of opulence—over anything too unruly. Discussing this change, festival press officers clarified for the AP that the update “made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect.” In essence, the longstanding but unwritten expectations have now become part of the festival’s formal code, rather than a case of everyone simply pretending to know where the invisible line was drawn.

This new ban is set against the context of red carpets increasingly dominated by sheer and “nude” dresses—think recent global headlines about transparent ensembles at major events, most notably Bianca Censori’s appearance at the Grammys. The article highlights that while full nudity was never openly embraced, the wave of revealing fashion has prompted Cannes to jot down, in no uncertain terms, how much is too much.

The Rules (And the Red Carpet’s Unruly History)

With the update, Cannes states its intent is “not to regulate attire per se, but to prohibit full nudity on the red carpet, in accordance with the institutional framework of the event and French law,” language cited by the AP. While this might sound like closing a door that was already shut, it provides the kind of reference every event planner dreams of when faced with a walking optical illusion in four-inch heels.

In a detail also described in the Associated Press report, the festival has reminded guests that “voluminous outfits…with a large train” are equally unwelcome, as they impede the flow of guests and complicate theater seating. You have to wonder: How many attendees have spent twenty minutes politely trapped by someone’s runaway tulle before this rule made it to print?

Traditionally, Cannes hasn’t shied away from enforcing the finer points of dress code. The outlet notes that women were once denied entry for not wearing heels—a policy that has thankfully retired, but lingers on in the annals of red carpet lore. It’s not the festival’s first rodeo with oddly specific regulations: ever since the now-famous 2018 ban on selfies, which director Thierry Frémaux memorably called “grotesque,” A-listers have been known to sneak a shot on the Palais steps despite official opposition.

Flashbacks, Irony, and the Red Carpet’s Future

The AP points out that stars like Bella Hadid, Naomi Campbell, and Kendall Jenner have often pushed those sartorial boundaries—provoking global debates about where fashion ends and policy begins. Recurrent policy recalibrations seem inevitable in such a setting, where tradition and spectacle are, in equal parts, the currency of the event.

With the 78th edition now underway, the message is relatively straightforward: the boundaries around nudity are boldly underlined. There’s still room for creative interpretation—after all, this is the French Riviera—but the scope for dramatic shock value just got trimmed. Will this set the tone for a return to classical glamour, or just push designers toward new and even more inventive ways to sidestep regulations?

At Cannes, a new explicit rule is rarely the end of the story. If history is any guide, one can almost picture the brainstorming already underway: how to craft the perfect ensemble that’s technically compliant, but makes the onlookers do a double take anyway. Perhaps the only safe bet is that, somewhere between tradition and rebellion, the red carpet will keep finding ways to keep everyone guessing.