Bella Hadid Bares It All in Boudoir-Inspired Saint Laurent
Old Hollywood elegance met daring avant-garde on the crimson carpet at Cannes, as Bella Hadid descended the storied stairs of the Palais des Festivals like a silver screen siren reborn. The supermodel’s latest appearance was an unabashed embrace of sensual femininity, courtesy of Saint Laurent’s Anthony Vaccarello.
For the premiere of “The Apprentice,” Hadid selected Look 7 from the French fashion house’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection – an ingenious feat of construction more remarkable for what it didn’t conceal than what it did. A daring halter silhouette featured cups crafted from the sheerest 10 denier hosiery, while the bodice appeared fashioned from stockings artfully knotted and draped. Below, a pencil skirt composed of control top pantyhose hinted at the trim physique beneath with its shimmering, sculpted lines.
Yet it was Hadid’s deft styling hand that elevated the look to the sublime. The mahogany patent leather ankle-strap heels by Saint Laurent – with their dagger-sharp toe box and towering stiletto heel – conjured up favourite sirens of the cinematic golden age. Dripping in statement jewels, from gargantuan drop earrings to a smattering of blazing rings, she was the modern glamour girl incarnate.
It’s a styling trifecta that plays exquisitely into Hadid’s current sartorial mien – one of earthy, sensual tones married with hints of the ethereal and fae-like. From the diaphanous nude Dior slip dress by John Galliano donned during her Orebella fragrance launch, to the creamy lace-bodiced creation by Rokh seen on her Cannes hotel terrace, the model has been a vision of nymph-like allure.
But this Saint Laurent illusion gown is undoubtedly her boldest gesture yet in that aesthetic direction. It’s the paradox of barely-there guise and absolute body confidence that so captivates. As Vaccarello told Vogue of the fragile, sheer pieces, “Don’t even ask me about production—I can’t tell you.” To manifest even one on the red carpet speaks to Hadid’s undeniable industry power.
Whether she intended it or not, the look was a masterclass in subdued seduction from the sartorial vanguard. By leaving much to the imagination while conceding little, Hadid struck a balance few could achieve. Her aura of otherworldly, unruffled poise amid the frenzy rendered everyone else decorative Set pieces in comparison. Cannes witnessed the birth of a new bombshell paradox – the transparent fashion icon.
