How Julia Roberts broke the norm at Cannes – and Jennifer Lawrence did it too

The Don't Look Up star rebelled against strict Cannes rules


Julia Roberts attends the "Money Monster" premiere during the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 12, 2016 in Cannes, France
On 24 May 2023

Jennifer Lawrence stunned Hollywood fans when she made an appearance at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in a beautiful sweeping red dress at the Anatomy of a Fall photocall earlier in the week.

However, what really made headlines was her choice to wear flip-flops underneath her dress, lifting up her gown as she descended the red-carpeted stairs to reveal her choice of footwear.

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Jennifer ditched the heels for flip-flops on the Cannes red carpet

The more comfortable option, while sensible, was definitely seen as out of the ordinary at the famed film festival, which has placed an emphasis on formal wear and evening gowns for its female attendees.

While there is no explicit mention of heels being part of that dress code, it has since become an implied rule, especially following 2015 reports of women in their 50s being turned away from a screening of Carol at Cannes because of their "inappropriate" footwear.

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The story took Twitter by storm at the time, with festival director Thierry Fremaux tweeting out soon after: "The [rumor] that the festival requires high heels for the women on the steps is baseless."

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Heels have been part of the Cannes staple

However, a precedent was set for rebelling against the formal dress code the following year, when Julia Roberts attended the 69th Cannes Film Festival in 2016.

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At the Money Monster premiere, she was joined by George Clooney, Jodie Foster, and more as she paired her sensational black figure-hugging gown with no shoes whatsoever.

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Julia went barefoot at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival

Photos of her walking the carpet in her neatly pedicured bare feet quickly made the rounds, representing a protest against the established Cannes norm.

SEE: Cannes 2023: The best dresses from the film festival so far

While women at Cannes continue to pair their outfits with heels, several others have followed in the 55-year-old's footsteps (pun intended) even before Jennifer, 32, opted for her flip-flops.

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Kristen took her shoes off on the red carpet at Cannes in 2018

Kristen Stewart ditched her heels mid-way through her red carpet photocall at the 71st Cannes Film Festival (2018), posing in her silver mini dress and no shoes.

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The previous year, she also told The Hollywood Reporter: "I feel like you can't ask people that any more – it's a given. If you're not asking guys to wear heels and a dress, you cannot ask me either," when asked about the festival's dress code.

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Sasha went barefoot at the 2016 American Honey photocall

At the 2016 American Honey photocall at Cannes, Sasha Lane went completely barefoot as well, while just this Saturday, Isabelle Huppert opted for nude stocking-based heels as a nod to that rule.

This year's Cannes Film Festival has already seen several spectacular moments on the red carpet, from Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart's rare public date night to Johnny Depp's return to the spotlight.

VIDEO: Asteroid City is premiering at Cannes Film Festival

The premiere of Wes Anderson's Asteroid City also saw many of its stars, such as Scarlett Johansson, Maya Hawke, and Tom Hanks, command the attention of photographers, while others like Dame Helen Mirren sported some big transformations.

Check out some of the best moments from this year's Cannes Film Festival below:

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Isabelle Hupper opting for nude heels at Cannes on Saturday

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Viola Davis at Cannes

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Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander appear together at Cannes

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Natalie Portman and her co-star Charles Melton attend the May December red carpet screening at the Cannes Film Festival

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Salma attends the "Killers Of The Flower Moon" red carpet at Cannes

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Catherine Zeta-Jones and daughter Carys join Michael Douglas at Cannes

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