Over the weekend, the 2026 Cannes Film Festival came to a close. Jordan Firstman’s directorial debut Club Kid quickly emerged as the sleeper hit of the week, selling to A24 for $17 million after a tense bidding war. Meanwhile, on the red carpets, stars kept things polished and glamorous in adherence to the famously strict dress code. From jury members Demi Moore and Ruth Negga to perpetual rule-breaker Kristen Stewart, celebrities flexed their sartorial prowess wearing custom and fresh-off-the-runway looks from fashion’s biggest names. A red carpet is a perfect opportunity for designers to extend the runway’s reach—but has current-season dressing returned to the spotlight, replacing the archival craze of recent years? Looking at this year’s Cannes, it certainly seems so.

The Cannes red carpet has always been about glitz, and that has traditionally included the finest of vintage dressing. The last few festivals were filled with notable examples, including Amal Clooney in Dior by John Galliano, Naomi Campbell in a striped 1997 Chanel couture dress, Simone Ashley in a floral Alexander McQueen spring 2000 set, Rooney Mara in a 1956 Givenchy teacup frock, and all of Bella Hadid’s envious vintage pulls, from Jean Paul Gaultier to Tom Ford–era Gucci. And while Ashley and Hadid have continued their vintage streaks this year, there is a noticeable decrease in archival dressing across the board. Interestingly, in its stead, there has been a flurry of remakes. Hadid’s crocheted Schiaparelli paid homage to Jane Birkin’s backward Pucci dress, while Anastasia Andrushkevich’s powder blue chiffon gown re-created Princess Diana’s famous look from 1987.

“I think Cannes has become increasingly tied to luxury-brand partnerships and ambassador dressing,” Stewart’s stylist Tara Swennen tells Vogue. In many ways, awards and film festival seasons have become their own micro-economy, and all of the new creative directors have debut and sophomore runway collections to place on actors. Take the Oscars, which has quickly become one of fashion’s biggest deal-making nights. The most stylish clients, however, know how to perform a balancing act composed of honoring the house, dressing for the event’s requirements, and, hopefully, expressing themselves, which has become the most important factor: the need to stand out.

In 2018—the same year she kicked off her shoes—Stewart wore 2013 Chanel, but this week saw the Full Phil actress sporting a black and red knit dress and a sheer “tweed” skirt suit from Matthieu Blazy’s recent Chanel fall 2026 and spring 2026 couture collections, respectively. Both were paired with sneakers, of course. “Styling Kristen for Cannes now feels more about refinement of a language we’ve built together over the years,” Swennen explains. The high-low combination is signature to Stewart’s style, and the contrast makes the placement “less precious,” more personal, especially amid the festival’s old-school grandeur.

Meanwhile, Demi Moore’s asymmetrical feathered Gucci top couldn’t have boarded a flight from JFK fast enough—the show was late Saturday in New York; she wore it on Monday. There’s really no speedier promotion of a collection than that.

Still, even stars working without stylists or exclusive ambassadorships are opting for current-season looks fresh from the source. Director Chloé Zhao, who has twice been dubbed Most Avant-Garde in our very own Cannes Awards, has donned Schiaparelli’s spring 2026 couture Isabella Blowfish dress, Gabriela Hearst, and custom Prada. Elsewhere, Cate Blanchett sported spring 2026 Givenchy by Sarah Burton; and Ruth Negga, who is styled by Karla Welch, has worn custom and fresh-off-the-runway designs from Saint Laurent, Sacai, Ami Paris, Prada, and more. If Cannes is any indicator for coming red carpet trends, in-season collections are back on top.