Celebrities Reportedly Banned From Cannes For Wearing Flat Shoes
Neil Weilheimer
Managing Editor
The Cannes Film Festival, as known for old-fashioned glamour as it is for movie premieres, came under fire earlier today after staffers began enforcing a strict dress code.
The unspoken but assumed dress code for those invited to screenings requires men to wear black tie with black shoes and women to wear fashionable footwear — generally interpreted as high heels.
According to several reports, women were turned away from the premiere of “Carol,” a 1950s lesbian romance, for not meeting the dress code.
Film fans and celebrities quickly expressed outrage on Twitter over an “insane” and outdated “sexist” dress code.
Asif Kapadia, director of the highly buzzed-about Amy Winehouse documentary, “Amy,” confirmed on social media that his wife was also barred from entering his own premiere at Cannes because she wasn’t wearing heels, though she was eventually given the go-ahead.
@muirkate happened to my wife (eventually let in)
— asifkapadia (@asifkapadia) May 19, 2015
Similarly, execs at the London-based Independent Film Co., tweeted that its “head of sales [was] turned away at ‘Carol’ premiere for lack of sass in shoes.”
While we’ve seen our share of great heels at the film festival, there’s no doubt that this hard stance puts a damper on personal choice, self-expression and a desire for comfort.
Actress Emily Blunt, who stars in the FBI drama “Sicario,” was asked about the controversy at her film’s press conference. According to the Associated Press, she said: “Everyone should wear flats, to be honest. We shouldn’t wear high heels anyway. That’s very disappointing — just when you kind of think there are these new waves of equality. That’s my point of view. I just prefer wearing Converse sneakers.”
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