8/14/2019 High Casual of Style

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* 13International Herald Tribune

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

By Jessica Michault

The new united Europe showedits fashionable face at Cannes.The film festival may havebeen brought to life by its Hol-

lywood stars, from Quentin Tarantino,the president of this years jury, withhis new partner, Sofia Coppola, toCameron Diaz andUma Thurman. Butwhen it came to the gala gowns, thiswas a strictly European affair as if toshow that old Europe has the style edgeover the New World.

Movie stars from around the worldclimbedthe red carpeted steps in out-fits that demonstrated that creativityand sophistication are not mutually ex-clusive. The parade moved the pallidand timid Oscars red carpet intosecond place in the glamour race.

It has been said of Cannes that thefestival always reflects the style andtaste of the president of the jury.Tarantino, whose moviePulp Fictionwon the Palme dOr 10 years ago, isknown for his relaxed and unpreten-tious style. Perhaps thats why thisyears festival had a laid-back feel.

The 12-day festival felt like a summervacation. Maybe its nonstop mlange ofmovie premieres, gala dinners and all-nightparties gave celebrities the cour-age needed to mix things up a bit.

The haute couture dresses at Canneswere worn almost casually by starswho freely combined them with suchitems as a scarf, hat or a fresh flowertied to a wrist.

Dresses by European fashionhouses dominated. The usual suspectswere all there: Versace (Jennifer Anis-ton and Sharon Stone), Chanel (DianeKruger), Louis Vuitton (CameronDiaz), Valentino (Saffron Burrows),Lanvin (Charlize Theron) and Chloe(Coppola).Of particular note wasthe

plethora of ChristianDior dresses ad-orning the backs of the beautifulpeople. Although it was missing inaction at the Oscars this year, Diortook Cannes by storm.

Itsstars includedTheronin an off-the-shoulder gown worn to presentthe Palme dOr, Thurman in a crystalembroidered ice blue dress for theopening of Ki ll B il l: Vol. 2 , andPenelope Cruz in a cream-coloredhaute couture dress. Then there wasOrlando Blooms squeeze, the actressKate Bosworth, in a fire engine redgown at the Troy premiere andElizabeth Hurley decked out in a royalpurple animal print.

There were so many celebritieswearing Dior gowns, jewelry andmakeup, a Web site was created just todocument who wore which Dior.

The laid-back couture was rein-forced by hairstyles that looked naturaland serene. Hair was swept back ineasy chignons, gathered loosely overone shoulder or flowing freely downtanned backs. Cannes sent the messagethat glamour didnt have to be forced

and that beauty is not a synonym forp e rfe c ti o n.

Jewelry by and large was simpleand discreet. For the most part neck-lines remained bare and earrings wereuncomplicated hoops or studs. Thetrend was to wear chunky braceletsand one significant ring with a largeprecious stone.

Beautiful exceptions to this rulewere a Chopard necklace of multi-colored teardrop stones worn by theAustralian actress Rose Byrne. And onopening night, the British actressTilda Swinton accentuated the Gre-cian drapes of her golden gown withthe Delilah necklace (which NicoleKidman wore in her hair at the GoldenGlobes) and matching cuff braceletfrom Boucheron.

Handbags were reduced to glamor-ous clutches in vibrant colors anddecked out in Swarovski crystals thatsparkled under the spotlights.

The aptly named Vanity Bag with itsmirrored front (for those last-minutetouch-ups) made its debut here. Thebag, which was created by Silvia Ven-turini Fendi for the Fendi 2004 au-tumn/winter collection, was carried byNaomi Campbell, Catherine Deneuveand Swinton.

Venturini Fendi believes the bagwas so well liked because it ex-alts the female vanity. It attracts

the glances from all eyes. Its a gameand a provocation in the same time.

And she has high hopes for her newcreation. I would like this bag to be-come an aesthetic representation of thefeminine narcissism, she says.

Cannes also proved that a youngde-signer could make a difference, in thiscase Olivier Theyskens, head designer atthe French house of Rochas. Theyskensdressed the French actress Clotilde

Courau, wife of the prince of Venice,Italys king in waiting, in a sliver bustierdress covered with black lace. Rochasalso created a one-of-a-kind dress forthe Frenchactress Emmanuelle Bart,amember of this years jury, to wear tothe premiere of Kill Bill: Vol. 2.

I made the dress especially for Em-manuelle, said Theyskens. I wantedsomething that would match her deepblue eyes, so I used a silk fabric that wasshot through with metal filament. Em-manuelle is known for her femininityand sensuality, and the dress reflectsthat. Theneck, shoulders and back areall bare. I wanted it to lookalmost likeshe had wrapped herself up in luxu rioussheets that she had just pulled of a bed.

Bart took such ashine to the youngdesigner that she asked him to accom-pany her to the premiere, his first.

I love Cannes, says Theyskens.When I walked up the red ca rpet stepsit was like the world stood still for amoment in time. Everything moved inslow motion, but at the same time itwas over so quickly.

International Herald Tribune

Canness high casualA relaxed approach to sophistication

www.wireimage.com; Agence France-Presse (Cruz, Theyskens and Bart); The Associated Press (Diaz, Stone)

Above from left: Charlize Theron in Lanvin, Penelope Cruz in Dior beret and dress, Olivier Theyskens and Emmanuelle Bart at the Kill Bill: Vol. 2 premiere, Cameron Diaz inVuitton with Dior earrings, Tilda Swinton in Boucheron necklace with Fendi bag. At left, Sharon Stone in Versace with Chopard bracelets and Rose Byrne with Chopard necklace.

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