The last water taxi had barely left Venice before the looks from Toronto Film Festival 2025 started to drip into our social media feeds.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the festival. Its lineup includes Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, the James McAvoy-directed California Schemin’, Romain Gavras’s Sacrifice, starring Charli xcx, and Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine — also known as “The Film That Will Win Dwayne The Rock Johnson An Oscar.”
Other films scheduled for special presentations include Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein — which means plenty more Jacob Elordi red carpet appearances — and Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man, the most recent instalment in his Knives Out saga.
Wake Up Dead Man’s stacked cast (Josh O’Connor, Andrew Scott, Glenn Close and many more) were some of the first attendees to hit the Toronto red carpet, with Josh O’Connor’s massive Dior bowtie causing a particular stir.
That same night, Anya Taylor-Joy offered an equally dramatic Dior moment, stepping out in a blue silk dress with a dramatic skirt that cascaded into delicately folded squares.
Indeed, it was a full day of Jonathan Anderson’s Dior, with LaKeith Stanfield offering a more casual take on the menswear, wearing a white cableknit jumper, asymmetric cut layered trousers, a black leather beret and — you guessed it — an oversized bowtie, this time in a more lightweight fabric.
Then came the Valentino. Kirsten Dunst impressed crowds with her knotted cutout gown in seafoam, from the increasingly popular Valentino resort 2026 collection, while Maude Apatow went full old Hollywood glamour in a boudoir-esque silk slip and feather-trimmed cape from the same collection.
Also offering a lesson in pyjama dressing was singer-turned-actress Charli xcx, who looked effortlessly cool in moss green Saint Laurent with semi-sheer black tights and black pointed pumps, and The Smashing Machine’s Emily Blunt, who went part bedroom, part boardroom in Stella McCartney SS25 RTW. The nightie dress trend continued in full force with BAFTA Rising Star award winner Mia McKenna-Bruce, who arrived in a white silk slip with a lace bust.
But it was Michaela Coel who has stolen the show thus far (and would we expect any less?). The actress arrived wearing a custom look by Sudanese designer Hiba Rahma, aiming to highlight the displacement and suffering of individuals affected by the ongoing Sudan War. She accessorised the look with jewellery crafted by Nisreen Kuku, a Sudanese fine jewellery brand.
On Thursday, all eyes were on Kaya Scodelario and her ombre pink trousersuit. The Gentlemen actress was present for the premiere of her sibling crime-comedy Adulthood, in which she stars opposite Josh Gad.
For all of the looks mentioned above and more, see below:
Best dressed at Toronto Film Festival 2025
