Bella Hadid's 2026 Cannes Film Festival color palette matches that of the French Riviera: light and romantic with pops of powder pink, ivory, champagne, and mauve. On May 19, however, Hadid broke up the airiness in an all-black Tom Ford outfit. Its redeeming, Cannes-worthy quality? A slim cut-out in between her full-coverage top and bottoms.
The supermodel cosplayed a tourist before Tuesday's red carpet premiere by walking the theater's iconic staircase in a laid-back (for her) look. Perhaps stylist Mimi Cuttrell dressed her in the anti-naked, Tom Ford Fall 2026 set to avoid the beating sun. The long-sleeve, turtleneck blouse covered every square inch of her torso. Even her black, low-rise trousers and pointy leather pumps didn't show a sliver of skin. But hems on both the top and bottom kept a section of her waist unshielded. Hadid played with the negative space by cinching a thin, croc-embossed belt around her exposed waist, Carrie Bradshaw-style.
Hadid's belt, diamond stud earrings, shield sunglasses, and key-shaped pendant necklace added visual interest to her one-color co-ord. The Coach Book Charm Bag she carried yesterday seemed to stay in her room at the Hôtel Martinez. She finished accessorizing with nothing but a diamond-encrusted watch instead.
Strategically-placed cut-outs have been a mainstay in Hadid's Cannes Film Festival toolkit for years. Back in 2019, she turned heads in a 14-year-old Roberto Cavalli Spring 2005 gown. Curved notches on either side of the fiery-red torso cascaded into an entirely open back.
Three years later, Hadid ascended her favorite staircase in a vintage, stark-white dress from Tom Ford's Gucci Fall 1996 fashion show. An oval-shaped, hip cut-out punctured the long-sleeve, boatneck number. The hole bookended a metallic silver buckle in the middle.
Last year's no-nudity dress code required Hadid to get more creative with her skin-showing cut-outs, hence their disappearance on recent Cannes red carpets. It seems she's reserving her riskiest slits for unofficial outings, like a mid-afternoon stroll with friends, just to be safe. The strict dress code didn't say anything about cut-outs, though. Plus, the red carpet regulators won't hit the Croisette for hours. So until then, flaunt your cut-out proudly, Hadid.
Shop Cannes-Worthy Outfits Inspired by Bella Hadid
