The 2026 Cannes Film Festival couldn't end until a VIP debuted a crocheted little white dress somewhere along the Croisette. The adorable, but rarely risqué summer staple walked the red carpet on May 20, thanks to Bella Hadid. In true Hadid form, her custom Schiaparelli gown gave the once-bikini cover-up a proper, nearly-naked makeover.
Hadid's third ascent up the Cannes 2026 staircase might just be her most on-brand. Stylist Mimi Cuttrell did her big one, sourcing Schiaparelli creative director Daniel Roseberry for an ivory gown that required 22,160 hours of embroidery work. Guests inside the Hôtel Martinez stopped dead in their tracks—and rightfully so.
The trompe l’œil lace began as a corseted bodysuit. A black, pendant-topped brooch held the neckline's curved, bellybutton-grazing plunge together. Then, the long-sleeve overlay turned subtly sheer once the circular cords and anchor threads reached Hadid's sleeves and thighs. A group of 130 artisans used intricately tiered hems to make the elongated mermaid train as opaque as the bodice. Pointy black pumps emerged from beneath the 'Ôrəbella founder's final row of scalloped, summery crochet.
Hadid flaunted every nook and cranny of the couture creation. Known for sculpting statement backs, Schiaparelli laced a black velvet ribbon up the supermodel's spine, before it fashioned a beautiful bow atop the nape of her neck. Similar interlaced grommets decorated Bad Bunny's velvet tuxedo at the 2026 Grammys, as well as Dua Lipa's skeleton-shaped gown at the 2024 Golden Globes.
On Hadid's gown, the corsetry shined as much as the backwards necklace trend would've. She kept the rest of her jewelry simple, frosting herself in Chopard diamond drop earrings and matching cocktail rings.
While other fashion girls put crochet in a cutesy little box, Hadid has always believed in its ability to shape-shift into something sultrier. Back in 2017, she returned to the Cannes Film Festival in completely-crocheted swimwear from Bali-based brand Andi Bagus.
Every element of her all-white look, including a balconette bralette, a short-sleeve bolero jacket, see-through drawstring sweats, and a peekaboo thong looked woven by hand. To finish, the then-21-year-old offset the beachy-ness of it all with high-top Dior sneakers.
Despite crochet almost always being a touch transparent, it's a challenge to step outside its charming comfort zone. Back in 2024, Taylor Swift leaned into the fiber's '70s nostalgia with a multi-color, under-$120 crochet dress from Australian label VRG GRL. Weeks later, Ashley Graham traded a linen LWD for a crocheted Simkhai sundress.
Both Blake Lively and Dua Lipa pulled off the knit last summer, starting with Lively in a sleeveless white midi dress. Later, Lipa celebrated her 30th birthday in six figures worth of jewelry, plus a crocheted, lingerie-revealing dress from Mirror Palais. That's the same New York City label behind some of Sabrina Carpenter's nakedest looks.
See? Crochet has always had the potential to become something saucier. It just needed an It girl like Hadid to give it a classic Hollywood close-up.
