VENICE, Italy — The 2026 Venice Film Festival has barely begun, but its red carpet is already delivering one of the season’s biggest fashion conversations.
Instead of simply following traditional black-tie rules, some of Hollywood’s biggest names are using the opening-night carpet to bend, reinterpret and occasionally ignore the old dress code—with sculpted gowns, unexpected tailoring, dramatic accessories and even more relaxed footwear making a statement.
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival opened on September 2 and runs through September 12 on the Venice Lido. Reuters notes that Venice remains one of the industry’s key launchpads for awards-season contenders, with a strong history of films and performances going on to Oscar recognition.
And on opening night, fashion was almost as difficult to ignore as the films.
Amal Clooney makes one of the night’s biggest statements
Amal Clooney immediately set the tone in a sculpted black gown created by Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford.
Tatler Asia described the look as a contemporary take on early-2000s bandage dressing, with structured detailing giving the silhouette a distinctly architectural quality. She paired the black gown with Cartier emerald jewellery, providing a sharp flash of colour.
Vogue likewise highlighted Amal and George Clooney’s arrival as one of the opening moments of the festival, with George in Venice to receive a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
George Clooney proves classic still wins
While others pushed the boundaries, George Clooney went in the opposite direction.
The festival honouree appeared in a classic black Giorgio Armani tuxedo, demonstrating that red-carpet fashion doesn’t always need a dramatic twist to attract attention.
Tatler Asia’s take was essentially that restraint itself can be a form of rule-breaking.
His appearance also carried more than fashion significance: Clooney was honoured with Venice’s Golden Lion for lifetime achievement during the opening festivities.
Claire Foy brings drama in crimson
Claire Foy brought a striking burst of colour to a carpet dominated by darker formalwear.
Her crimson Bottega Veneta look was finished with leather opera gloves, adding a sharper, more dramatic edge to the ensemble.
The styling demonstrated one of the dominant themes of the opening night: traditional eveningwear remains recognizable, but accessories and unexpected proportions can completely change its character.
Jonathan Bailey loosens up formalwear
Jonathan Bailey offered another interpretation of formal dressing in Giorgio Armani.
His look combined a bow tie with barrel-leg trousers and a flowing velvet scarf, introducing movement and softness into an otherwise formal silhouette.
It’s precisely this kind of styling that appears to be redefining the Venice carpet this year: the suit remains, but the formula is no longer rigid.
Maggie Gyllenhaal swaps traditional heels for slippers
Maggie Gyllenhaal, president of this year’s international competition jury, took an even more understated approach.
Her bespoke Celine ensemble was paired with pointed slingback slippers, challenging the expectation that a major film-festival red carpet automatically requires towering heels.
Her presence is particularly significant beyond fashion: Reuters reported that Gyllenhaal has also spoken about systemic barriers facing women directors in the film industry.
Nicholas Galitzine ditches the conventional dinner jacket
Nicholas Galitzine also stepped away from the standard tuxedo formula.
Instead of a traditional dinner jacket, he wore an Emporio Armani bib shirt secured with a brooch, creating a more fashion-forward interpretation of men’s eveningwear.
It’s another example of how the 2026 carpet is treating formalwear less like a strict uniform and more like a starting point.
Chase Sui Wonders goes full goth-glam
Chase Sui Wonders brought a darker mood to the carpet in a Giorgio Armani gown featuring beaded mesh cutouts.
Paired with Tiffany & Co. jewellery, the look leaned into a gothic glamour aesthetic while maintaining the polished finish expected at Venice.
Nina Dobrev adds a jolt of chartreuse
If anyone was determined to disrupt the sea of black, it was Nina Dobrev.
Her strapless Armani Privé gown featured black sequins but was dramatically interrupted by sweeping chartreuse chiffon panels extending from the hips into a train.
The contrast gave the look one of the night’s most immediately recognizable silhouettes.
Alessandra Ambrosio puts corsetry front and centre
Alessandra Ambrosio embraced visible structure in a custom Intimissimi gown built around corsetry.
The design exposed the mechanics normally hidden beneath eveningwear, using a boned satin bustier and structured waist before flowing into a ruched skirt.
Laura Dern proves pastel can command attention
Then came Laura Dern, who went in an entirely different direction.
She wore a candy-pink, 1950s-inspired Prada gown featuring a scoop neckline, cap sleeves and a full circular skirt. She also delivered the laudatio before Clooney received his Golden Lion.
Her look stood out precisely because it refused to compete through darkness or excessive embellishment.
Venice fashion is becoming less predictable
The opening night suggests that the modern Venice red carpet is moving beyond the simple formula of gown + heels + jewellery.
Tatler Asia’s selection of 10 standout looks includes everything from Amal Clooney’s sculpted black gown and Nina Dobrev’s chartreuse accents to Gyllenhaal’s slippers and Bailey’s velvet scarf.
Vogue’s continuously updated coverage is similarly tracking a broad mix of established stars and emerging fashion moments, including Kendall Jenner, Dakota Johnson, Pamela Anderson, Kate Mara, Rooney Mara, Orlando Bloom, Parker Posey and others.
And with the festival running until September 12, the opening ceremony is only the beginning.
Why this year’s Venice red carpet matters
Venice has long been more than a fashion event. The festival traditionally marks the beginning of the major autumn awards season, making every appearance potentially part of a much bigger Hollywood conversation.
But fashion has become an equally important part of that spectacle.
The most interesting shift this year may not be one particular gown.
It’s the willingness of celebrities and designers to ask a more interesting question:
What if black tie doesn’t have to mean playing by the rules?
With more premieres, parties and red carpets still ahead, Venice 2026 could produce plenty more fashion moments before the festival closes.
And if opening night is any indication, the biggest style surprise may still be waiting around the corner.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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