The most stylish Asian celebrities at Cannes Film Festival 2023

It’s that time of the year again. Luminaries of the seventh art have descended on Cannes, France for its storied film festival, all vying for the coveted Palme d’Or—the crowning prize of the season. It will be a tough fight; this iteration, the 76th, boasts one of the strongest lineups in recent memory. Heavy-hitters Jonathan Glazer, Ken Loach and Martin Scorsese are all premiering, alongside arthouse favourites Todd Haynes, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Wim Wenders, Wes Anderson, Nanni Moretti, Aki Kaurismäki and Nuri Bilge Ceylan. The jury, headed by last year’s winner, director Ruben Östlund, expects deliberations to be intense and impassioned, a forecast that prompted Östlund’s wry declaration in his opening ceremony speech: “Consensus is the most boring thing.”

His exhortation to debate reveals a moving sense of responsibility. “If a jury is looking for the common denominator, there’s a risk that the best film is going to fall through the cracks. So I’m going to encourage people to fight for the films they really believe in.”

The festival, often lauded for its diverse picks, features four Asian-directed films in competition: Fallen Leaves by Aki Kaurismäki, Monster by Hirokazu Kore-eda, La Passion De Dodin Bouffant by Tran Anh Hung and Jeunesse by Wang Bing. Other Asian works screening include Hopeless by Kim Chang-hoon, The Breaking Ice by Anthony Chen and Kubi by Takeshi Kitano.

Second to the film is the fashion, and the Asian contingent did not disappoint. Fan Bing Bing dazzled in a custom tiger and bamboo embroidered ball gown while Rosé stunned in an elegant black Saint Laurent sheath. Gao Ye was a vision in crisp emerald, while Zhang Yuqi made her entrance in a delicate construction of a white gown.

The festivities are set to run till 27 May. Below, see the best red carpet looks from the Asian celebrities at Cannes—with more to come in the next 10 days.