Halle Berry forced to change Indian designer Gaurav Gupta’s outfit for Cannes 2025: ‘I’m not going to break the rules’

Halle Berry’s last-minute wardrobe change at Cannes 2025

“I had an amazing dress by [Gaurav] Gupta to wear tonight, and I cannot wear it because the train’s too big,” Berry, who is on the jury panel this year, said during the Cannes jury press conference, according to Variety, but added she is not completely upset about it and decided to follow the rule as it is. “I had to make a pivot. But the nudity part, I do think, is probably also a good rule,” the Academy Award winner added of her opening night gala outfit. The official statement from Cannes regarding the new dress code was issued on May 12, and thus, many A-listers, who take a month or more to prepare for their designer outfits, had to suffer, and Berry was one of them. Later, the actor was seen in a dramatic black-and-white striped Jacquemus gown, which was simple, with a dramatic back but not voluminous — a halter neck and a more structured look.

The actor attended the festival alongside fellow jury members, including Succession fame Jeremy Strong, Indian film director Payal Kapadia, known for All We Imagine as Light, South Korean filmmaker Hong Sangsoo, Italian actor Alba Rohrwacher, French-Moroccan Leïla Slimani, Congolese documentarist Dieudo Hamadi, and Carlos Reygadas from Mexico. Juliette Binoche is serving as the president of the jury. According to the new dress code rules issued by the Cannes Film Festival, “This year, the Cannes Film Festival has made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect. The aim 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.” According to the official website, organisers have the right to deny entry to anyone who doesn’t follow the proper rules or whose arrival causes discomfort or traffic on the red carpet, potentially delaying the screening. 

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A special set of rules has also been disclosed for the evening screening happening between 7 to 10 pm (elegant evening gowns and tuxedos), which guests are required to adhere to. The alternate dress code includes “a little black dress, a cocktail dress, a dark-colored pantsuit, or a dressy top with black pants.” Meanwhile, men can opt for a black or navy blue suit with a bow tie or dark-colored tie. No sneakers are allowed, only “elegant shoes and sandals with or without a heel.” Among the Indian stars, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, a Cannes regular, returns to the red carpet alongside Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter, Sharmila Tagore, and Nitanshi Goel of Laapataa Ladies.