Pro-Palestinian fashion takes lead at Cannes

The Israel-Hamas war has sent out shock waves around the globe with the two nations not being able to come to a peaceful resolution. As people started taking sides, the fashion industry and events including the Met Gala and the Oscars became stages for people to make sartorial statements about the conflict. And, the Cannes Film Festival was the latest to see this trend with several celebrities coming out in support of Palestine by wearing a statement piece of attire.

Renowned supermodel Bella Hadid, whose father is Palestinian-American real-estate developer Mohamed Hadid drew praise as she was seen wearing a pink Keffiyeh dress designed by Michael and Hushi at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The dress was entirely made of scarves which are a symbol of Palestinian solidarity and identity. She is often seen being vocal about violence against the Palestinians and the ongoing war in Gaza.

Cate Blanchett was seen wearing a black, green, white, and red gown, with all the colors of the Palestinian flag. She kept her hair straight and matched the look with black high heels as she stood high on the red carpet. As the actress does not have her own Instagram account, her stylist and makeup artist released dozens of pictures with emoticons of the Palestinian flag and a watermelon soaring high to show their support for Palestine.

Indian actress Kani Kusruti was seen attending the screening of her film ‘All We Imagine As Light’ at Cannes 2024’s red carpet. She wore a simple white deep-neck short dress with puffed sleeves but was seen carrying a watermelon bag which is symbolised by the people of Palestine. Her unexpected gesture caused a stir on social media and she was praised for carrying the courage to showcase a powerful message with her sartorial choice.

Leila Bekhti was seen attending the premiere of ‘Mad Max Furiosa’ at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, but with her small but strong fashion statement, she made roars on the red carpet. She was seen wearing a plain black wrap over dress with a simple collar-blazer look. However, she added a small watermelon pin in the shape of a heart showing her support for Palestine.

Laura Blajman-Kadar's statement dress at the screening of ‘Mad Max Furiosa’ became the talk of the town, as she donned a bright yellow flared ball gown with several pictures of the lost and dead Palestinians and added a bold sachet that read ‘Bring them home’ in the hues of black and yellow.

The festival and the city of Cannes is said to have taken more precautions to avoid this matter and to create less chaos after last week’s Eurovision Song Contest, where thousands of protesters were seen assembled in the Swedish host city of Malmo to announce the inclusion of an Israeli contestant, which created drama and delay in the event.

(Image Credits: Pinterest)