No need to adjust your set, Elsa Hoskthe protruding mille-feuille tulle dress of the Cannes Film Festival 2023 is not a bug.
While it may seem to the untrained eye that the 34-year-old model and clothing designer may have suffered an unceremonious sartorial malfunction, this powder blue askew dress is more of a coup de force on the part of Hosk.
The dress, which features two pastel green bows, juxtaposes noticeably diagonally away from the body, revealing a sculpted bare bodice below.
Nowhere is it as see-through as fellow model Victoria’s Secret’s barely there Gucci briefs Irina Sheikh worn earlier in the week, but the subversive nearly nude dress is a playful take that subverts The notoriously rigid dress codes of Cannes.
The Viktor & Rolf creation is indeed selling us a fantasy; but who would win the Palme d’Or?
Did Hosk have a Cinderella moment, with this red carpet ensemble embodying the ballgown created by the Fairy Godmother that changes to rags after midnight?
Or, is the dress a poignant act of rebellion, highlighting Cannes culture encouraging women to dress in the height of luxury and glamor — a culture to which we are certainly not opposed.
The dress made its runway debut in Spring/Summer 2023 Haute Couture Seasonunveiled in Paris in early 2023.
The collection, titled “Waltz of Late Capitalism” offered a surreal take on the stereotypical ballgown custom, serving as a provocation to traditionalists who view these classic silhouettes as the pinnacle of beauty.
Though unconventional, this multi-dimensional dress is elegant in every way, bringing a much-needed touch of frivolity to such a serious event.
As fashion fanatics have observed, this is the first time a dress from Viktor & Rolf’s SS23 collection has appeared on the catwalk, a fitting first outing for a collection as revered as it is highly memorable. In fact, we’d say this dress is a masterclass in how to balance the virality of dressing with respect for fashion.
La Croisette had better get ready for next year, we predict an oversaturation of low-cut dresses.