My Cannes experience was some time ago and happened in two parts. The first was dressing actress Debra Messing. She was starring in Will & Grace which was super hot at the time. She was in the Woody Allen film, Hollywood Ending which was being screened at the Cannes Film Festival. I was living and working in New York at the time. I was the director of public relations for a fashion designer that specialized in eveningwear and she was known for using precious and semi-precious stones in many of her designs. She designed a gown for the Oscars that year that incorporated $2.5 million worth of diamonds. Debra’s publicist at PMK (if I remember correctly) contacted us and asked us if we would be interested in dressing her for the screening in Cannes, an assignment we gladly accepted. We dressed her in a black tulle halter dress that had a beaded dragon on the left side and beaded jumping fish across the bum. The look was completed with delicate but fabulous jewelry from H. Stern. We also ended up dressing her for a Chopard dinner. She wore a pale ultrasuede halter that had a long train and was attached to a huge faceted crystal necklace over a pair of matching hot pants. I ended up giving her that outfit against the designer’s wishes after which a row ensued. It wasn’t Real Housewives level more silent treatment which honestly I didn’t mind. It was an archived piece that we were never going to use in any way again and Debra really loved it. She wore it again to an event in Los Angeles. Anyway, the frost thawed after the designer received a wonderful note from Debra thanking her for her “generosity”.

The second part of my Cannes experience actually started at the Oscars that year. The $2.5 million gown was worn by Jules Asner as she covered Hollywood’s biggest event for E! A producer asked me if the designer would be in Cannes for the film festival and I said yes. We had no plans to be in Cannes. Badgley Mischka was the red carpet darling at the time and regularly appeared on E!’s Fashion Police with Joan Rivers and at the time they asked us we weren’t dressing anyone that was attending. We had discussed going to Cannes, all of my plans included taking the Concorde but at the time we just couldn’t make it work. I wanted to be involved so I secured a spot for the designer on amfAr’s Gala Cannes committee and arranged to donate a gorgeous gown beaded with seawater pearls to the auction. Fast forward to a few days into the film festival I receive a call from a producer at E! who wants to know if the designer is in Cannes. I say yes! Prefect, she replied, would she be interested in appearing on Fashion Police with Joan Rivers. Again, I say yes! She is not there! What have I done? I think to myself. Long story short I got her to Cannes in less than 24 hours and her Fashion Police appearance was flawless.

This year’s red carpet did not disappoint! It was great to see Sharon Stone at Cannes again and at the annual amfAR Gala Cannes where she belongs. The 3 dimensional Dolce & Gabbana gown was everything! It was my favorite look. This wasn’t a comeback it was a red carpet takeover. And you know I love a costume change. Sharon served up two looks for the amfAR Gala Cannes which she hosted. She made an entrance in a lilac Dolce & Gabbana gown and ended the evening in an Alberta Ferretti black sequin column dress. My second favorite look was Bella Hadid in Schiaparelli Haute Couture. It was minimalism meets maximalism meets surrealism. That lung necklace!!! This year, for me Cannes was like old Hollywood glamour meets modern runway. There were so many fabulous trends I hope to see at events in Nashville and beyond, whether it’s a ball, red carpet or gala. If you show up in a gown or a tuxedo for breakfast I won’t be mad. Glamour is back! And I for one hope it is here to stay!

Sharon Stone in Dolce & Gabbana at the A Felesegam Tortenete (The Story Of My Wife) premiere in a spectacular return to Cannes after a 7 year absence.

Bella Hadid in Schiaparelli Haute Couture at the Tre Piani (Three Floors) premiere.

A closer look at the lung necklace.

All That Glitters 

Marion Cotillard in Chanel Haute Couture at the Annette premiere.

Anna Cleveland in Alberta Ferretti at The French Dispatch premiere.

Leonie Hanne in Georges Hobeika at the OSS 117 From Africa with Love premiere.

Gemma Chan in Oscar de la Renta at OSS 117 From Africa with Love premiere.

Frida Aasen in Elie Saab at the Stillwater premiere.

Hana Cross in Boss at the France premiere.

Denise Tantucci in Gucci at the Tre Piani (Three Floors) premiere.

Leonie Hanne in Tony Ward and Pomellato jewelry at the Stillwater premiere.

Soko in Gucci at the Annette premiere.

Andie MacDowell in Versace at the Tout S’est Bien Passe (Everything Went Fine) premiere.

Isabeli Fontana in Rami Kadi at the Aline, The Voice of Love premiere.

Lorena Rae in Elie Saab at the Tout S’est Bien Passe (Everything Went Fine) premiere.

Nieves Alvarez in Elie Saab Haute Couture at the Aline, The Voice Of Love premiere.

Paz Vega in Elie Saab at the Stillwater premiere.

Gemma Chan in Valentino Haute Couture at Les Intranquilles (The Restless) premiere.

Isabelle Huppert in Louis Vuitton with Chopard earrings at the Aline, The Voice of Love premiere.

Not So Mellow Yellow

Helen Mirren in Dolce & Gabbana at the Annette premiere.

Poppy Delevingne in Dolce & Gabbana at the A Felesegam Tortenete (The Story of My Wife) premiere.

Influencer Jessica Wang in Tony Ward at Aline, The Voice of Love premiere.

Noel Capri Berry in Ashi Studio Haute Couture with emerald and diamond Chopard earrings at the Aline, The Voice of Love premiere.

Leonie Hanne in Tony Ward and Pomellato jewelry at the Stillwater premiere.

Sofia Resing in Nicolas Jebran at the A Felesegam Tortenete (The Story of My Wife) premiere.

Green With Envy

Leonie Hanne in Nicole + Felicia Couture at the Tout S’est Bien Passe (Everything Went Fine) premiere.

Elisa Sednaoui Dellal in Alberta Ferretti at the Annette premiere.

Kat Graham in Etro and Pomellato jewelry at the Annette premiere.

Abigail Breslin in Dolce & Gabbana at the Stillwater premiere.

Rhapsody In Blue

Tilda Swinton in Chanel at the Chanel Cannes Dinner Party.

Influencer Hofit Golan in Ziad Nakad, Gil Neuhaus jewelry and Christophe Guillarme clutch at the Aline, The Voice of Love premiere.

Supermodel and former First Lady of France, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in Celine at the Annette premiere.

Andie MacDowell in Prada at the Annette premiere.

White Nights

Bella Hadid in vintage Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture at the Annette premiere.

Sharon Stone in Dolce & Gabbana at the OSS 117 From Africa With Love premiere.

Jodie Foster in Givenchy and Chopard jewelry at the Annette premiere.

Candice Swanepoel in Etro and Messika jewelry at the Tout S’est Bien Passe (Everything Went Fine) premiere.

Izabel Goulart in Etro at the Benedetta premiere.

Mélanie Thierry in Valentino Couture and Chopard jewelry at the OSS 117 From Africa With Love premiere.

Iris Law in Christian Dior and Bvlgari jewelry at The French Dispatch premiere.

Kat Graham in BOSS at The French Dispatch premiere.

Nidhi Sunil in Maison Rabih Kayrouz at the All Went Well premiere.

Black Beauties

Diane Kruger in Giorgio Armani and Chaumet jewelry at the Tout S’est Bien Passe (Everything Went Fine) premiere.

Marina Ruy Barbosa in Valentino at the Tre Piani (Three Floors) premiere.

Jessica Chastain in Christian Dior Haute Couture and Chopard jewelry at the Annette premiere.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in Saint Laurent and Chopard jewelry at the De Son Vivant (Peaceful) premiere.

Regina King in Schiaparelli Haute Couture at the amfAR Cannes Gala.

Nour Arida in Jean Paul Gaultier at the Tre Piani (Three Floors) premiere.

Nieves Alvarez in Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini at The French Dispatch premiere.

Anja Rubik in Saint Laurent at the Benedetta premiere.

Taylor Hill in Etro at the De Son Vivant (Peaceful) premiere.

Sharon Stone in Alberta Ferretti at the amfAR Cannes Gala.

Pretty In Pink

Influencer Fatima Almomen in Rami Kadi at the Benedetta premiere.

Elvira Jain in Atelier Zuhra at the Benedetta premiere.

Didi Stone in Lorenzo Serafini’s Philosophy and Pomellato jewelry at the Stillwater premiere.

Chiara Sampaio in Rami Kadi at the A Felesegam Tortenete(The Story of My Wife) premiere.

Purple, Red, Orange

Sharon Stone in Dolce & Gabbana at the amfAR Cannes Gala.

Tina Kunakey in Valentino Haute Couture  at the Benedetta premiere.

Rosamund Pike in Christian Dior Haute Couture at the OSS 117 From Africa With Love premiere.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Atelier Versace at the Benedetta premiere.

Lena Mahfouf in Nicolas Jebran at The French Dispatch premiere.

Tilda Swinton In Haider Ackermann at The French Dispatch premiere.

Kick In The Pants

Marta Lozano in Lorenzo Caprile at the A Felesegam Tortenete(The Story of My Wife) premiere.

Candice Swanepoel in Etro, Casadei shoes and Pomellato jewelry at the Annette premiere.

Liya Kebede in Alexander McQueen at the OSS 117 From Africa with Love premiere.

Leila Bekhti in Givenchy and Tiffany & Co. High Jewelry at the Annette premiere.

Paz Vega in Nicholas Jebran at the Chopard Trophy photocall.

Mélanie Laurent in Celine at the Benedetta premiere.

Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann at The French Dispatch photocall.

Karidja Touré in Tommy Hilfiger at the A Felesegam Tortenete (The Story of My Wife) premiere.

Jodie Turner-Smith in Gucci at the Kering Talks Women In Motion photocall.

Les Hommes à Cannes

Kingsley Ben-Adir in Brunello Cucinelli at the Benedetta premiere.

Adam Driver in Burberry at the Annette premiere.

Adrien Brody in Dior Men at Chopard’s Gentlemen’s Evening.

Timothee Chalamet in Tom Ford at The French Dispatch premiere.