No one questions Cannes’ reputation as one of the most glamorous places in the world, but it can also be quite chaotic. Never for Julianne Moore.
“I’ve always felt it’s something very comforting to be around Julianne,” says veteran stylist Leslie Fremar, who has styled Moore for years, including most of her couture-clad appearances on the steps of the Palais in Cannes. “She exudes an aura that nothing goes wrong, and she shines that light on her entire team. Everyone then feels that we are in the right place, we have this. She’s the captain of that and it’s really contagious and soothing.
That energy is the perfect accessory to the film festival and its fashion demands, especially for Moore, who has already made many appearances at Cannes, returning again this year to support her work opposite Natalie Portman in Todd Haynes’ title contest. may december.
Ahead of her anticipated return, The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Fremar who took a walk down memory lane to tell the stories behind five of her favorite Cannes collaborations.
2014 at Chanel
Julianne Moore at the Maps to the stars premiered on May 19, 2014.
George Pimentel/WireImage
Julianne loves feathers – she has always been in love with birds and feathers. When this dress arrived at the office it was just so beautiful and when she put it on I remember thinking she looked like the most beautiful bird. Something very special is happening in Cannes and when she hit the red carpet, with her hair color and skin tone, she just shimmered. I remember this moment like it was yesterday and it’s still one of my all-time favorite looks I’ve ever done.
2015 in Armani Private
Julianne Moore attends the opening ceremony and premiere of La Tete Haute (Standing straight) on May 13, 2015.
Pascal Le Segretain/WireImage
Armani custom made this for her and they sent these incredible sketches that looked so much like Julianne it was remarkable. Sometimes when designers send sketches you know exactly what the dress will look like when it arrives and other times it can be more abstract. But this look was incredible. It’s exactly how she ended up looking. When she put it on, she looked as beautiful as ever in shades of green and feathers. It was such a beautiful moment. The emerald earrings (by Chopard) really complimented her skin tone, hair color and eyes, so we gravitated toward emeralds and amethysts because they always look so pretty on her.
2015 at Givenchy
Julianne Moore at the Mad Max: Fury Road premiered at the 68th Cannes Film Festival.
Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images
This was incredible. We tried on the dress with Riccardo (Tisci, former creative director), which is always such a great experience when you get to try on the dress with the designer. The entire process will likely take six weeks from receiving the sketches, providing feedback, going through swatches and fabrics, and then having multiple adjustments. It is certainly a process. When she put it on, it was so magical. Velvet is such a rich fabric that absorbs so much light so it just makes it very rich and dark as opposed to shiny and reflective. She had a matching velvet shoe and the way she walked with the slit, I remember when the photos went live, it was a very special moment. She looked so confident and sexy. It’s definitely a standout for me.
2018 in Saint Laurent
Julianne Moore at the Yomeddine premiered at the Palais des Festivals on May 9, 2018.
George Pimentel/WireImage
This dress fit like a glove and was so simple and chic. When we received the sketches, there were several variations of the points and the asymmetry with the angle of the neckline. We ended up choosing it as you see it. Sometimes it’s harder to do something simple than something over the top and larger than life. Making something simple and chic stand out in that environment isn’t necessarily an easy thing to do. But I feel like she really stood out in that dress with that necklace (from Chopard).
Julianne Moore at the Rocketman party on May 16, 2019.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
2019 at Givenchy
She needed several looks that year and I had gone to the Givenchy suite in Cannes, where I saw the dress and said, “Oh my god, what is that? That dress is amazing. She has to wear it. Sometimes brands prepare before going to Cannes knowing that things come last minute for people or do you add an event to your schedule so people need clothes that way the brands are set up to support that kind of situation and they had this dress there and we had never seen him before. They took it to her room – I believe she was staying at the Martinez that year – and the whole Givenchy team showed up and we fit in. It was perfect and she was out the door.
This story first appeared in the May 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
