Bella Hadid Acquires a Legendary Vintage Cannes Red Carpet Dress—Just Not for the Film Festival

Bella Hadid in London wearing a silver dress with a slick back bun.

The biggest story out of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival best-dressed list is its controversial dress code and the way stars are bending it to their will. The second biggest story out of the Cannes Film Festival red carpet is Bella Hadid's early departure.

The model cut her usual fashion marathon short to celebrate her fragrance brand's U.K. launch in London. However, she didn't let the trip across the English Channel dim her usual vintage red carpet antics. In fact, she chose a May 16 party to follow casual boho studded bags and Nike Air Max sneakers with a veritable piece of Cannes red carpet history—never mind that she wasn't actually wearing it on La Croisette.

Bella Hadid departed her London hotel in a vintage John Galliano dress and Jimmy Choo heels on May 16. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Hadid left her hotel ahead of an Ôrebella launch party in a liquid silver chainmail dress by John Galliano. Timestamp: Fall 1997, when Hedvig Marie Maigre first wore it with wraparound metallic sandals. Nearly three decades later, a twenty-first century supermodel paired it with flowers in her hair and Jimmy Choo heels on her feet. Clocking that runway reference is only scratching the surface of this look's backstory.

Model Hedvig Marie Maigre debuted the chainmail dress and coordinating wraparound sandals on John Galliano's fall 1997 runway. (Image credit: First View)

Within minutes of Hadid's look hitting the internet, Cannes red carpet historians and It-girl chroniclers came to the same conclusion: this vintage look had a second life off the runway. Specifically at the 50th Cannes Film Festival in 1997, when model and actress Milla Jovovich wore the same Galliano design to the premiere of The Fifth Element. There's simply no mistaking the asymmetric skirt, 3-D floral embellishments, and second-skin chainmail: They're all identical to Hadid's.

Hadid's chainmail dress was last seen at Cannes nearly three decades ago. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Milla Jovovich took the same dress on its first red carpet outing to the Cannes Film Festival in 1997. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

At press time, it's not quite clear if Hadid tapped a stylist like Molly Dickson to dig into the archives for this piece, or if Hadid picked it out herself. The vintage boutique behind her find also hasn't stepped forward quite yet.

Details aside, this Cannes red carpet throwback neatly lines up with Bella Hadid's proven track record with rare vintage finds—especially on the Ôrebella promotion circuit. When the brand first launched in spring 2024, she wore several archival pieces to press lunches and photocalls, including a Dior corset dress circa 2004 and a swirling floral Roberto Cavalli number.

Bella Hadid often wears vintage when promoting her brand, like this archival Dior piece. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Selecting a piece of Cannes history to wear hundreds of miles away is nothing short of a fashion flex on Hadid's part.