Only Margaret Qualley Could Have Walked the Cannes Red Carpet in These Ballet Flats

Margaret Qualley always makes a splash with her looks, and her appearance at the 78th Cannes Film Festival to present her upcoming film was no exception. While just a few days ago her mother, Andie MacDowell, dominated the Croisette in barely any makeup a tuxedo, it was now Qualley’s turn to impress, wearing a very special customized Chanel dress and ballet flats on the red carpet (yes, that’s right).

The Substance star shone in a flowing baby pink gown with a subtle train (in keeping with the film festival’s newly inaugurated strict dress code), a thigh-high slit and a shawl neckline that left her shoulders bare.But it was the detail at the bust that screamed Chanel from the first glance: A camellia, the founder’s favorite flower, layered over a black bow, a true signature of the brand.

And it seems that Claudia Schiffer is this year’s Cannes inspiration, since both Elsa Hosk (with her Thierry Mugler look at the premiere of The History of Sound) and Qualley have chosen to emulate some of her most memorable looks on the catwalk. Specifically, the actress wore a design inspired by the model’s appearance at the spring-summer 1990 Chanel Haute Couture show, which, by the way, marked Schiffer’s debut as Karl Lagerfeld’s muse.

Chanel Haute Couture spring-summer 1990.

Victor VIRGILE/Getty Images

Margaret Qualley at the Cannes Film Festival 2025.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Now, there’s nothing more chic ​​than enhancing this kind of outfit with a flat shoe. Qualley chose the brand’s classic two-tone ballet flats (with a black toe cap) to break away from the usual choice of heeled sandals. She also wore dangling earrings with a small flower on her earlobe and a chunky ring on one finger, all by the quintessential French house.

Daniele Venturelli

This isn’t the first time Margaret Qualley has taken risks and won at Cannes, and truth be told, she’s also one of the most anticipated guests. This time, she was presenting Honey Don’t!, the second part of a trilogy about queer women directed by Ethan Coen, and in the first installment of which she also participated. With all this, she returned to the festival with her usual naturalness and elegance, once again carrying the flag for Chanel.

This article was originally published by Vogue Spain.