YoIt’s flashy, jazzy, vulgar, totally jet set. From dawn to dusk on the Croisette, the boulevard that runs along the Mediterranean Sea in Cannes, everyone is dressed to the nines. For 10 days, it’s all about receiving an invitation to join the exclusive Cannes Film Festival club. But not everyone stops to watch a movie.
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In this image-driven economy, luxury materializes down to the skin. The media plays a central role in creating desire. Magazine editors and social media platforms collaborate with brands to promote their new products and feature celebrities wearing them. Now, a new type of celebrity, with an unconventional career path that starts from nothing, is invited to the Croisette: influencers.
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From the Carlton to the Grand Théâtre Lumière, the most dazzling ensembles are proudly displayed. Whether it’s Chanel jewelry or a Louis Vuitton leather bag (genuine or fake), logos here are synonymous with glamor and power.
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Coaches are not allowed at gala performances at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. The festival requires evening wear in the style of a “long dress or little black dress” for women and “a black or navy tuxedo with a dark bow tie or tie” for men. Without this clothing entry may be denied. This is a situation I found myself in last year, as I hadn’t found time to change after a day of wandering around.
The scene takes place in the streets: princess dresses, excess Botox, dazzling jewelry, shiny Lamborghinis. A fashion show takes place between the Marriott and the Grand Théâtre Lumière, without a red carpet. The party has become a symbol of the entertainment society.
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The crowd jostles at the exit of a screening. Yingying A-tupho came from Thailand for the festival. She describes herself as a “model, actress, singer and classical Thai dance teacher,” but she couldn’t be photographed on the red carpet because there are two separate entrances: one for film crews and official guests, and another for the public.
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Left: Edward Hollander, whose fortune is estimated at more than £310m, and his partner Amanda Balk, 38, a reality show contestant, were invited by luxury jeweler Messika. Right: a couple strolling along the Croisette.
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French YouTuber Mehdi Jibril (right) brings a Tom Cruise lookalike to the festival. Spotted online a few weeks earlier, this German is no stranger to making cameos, arriving on a motorcycle, wearing aviator sunglasses and sporting a devastating smile: mission accomplished.
I initially started attending film festivals to see movies, but I was immediately captivated by the hustle and bustle on the sidelines, that world of glitz and glamor and its eccentric characters. For two years I have been photographing the jet set and the crowd of strangers who surround them, dreaming of a place among the stars. I wanted to know who they were and what brought them here. Photography has given me a way to connect with these worlds.
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The Albert Édouard pier is located next to the entrance to the Palace of Festivals and Congresses, which hosts the festival events. While the festival has committed to reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 21% by 2030, the largest private yachts begin docking as early as May.
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Left: The owner of Villa Oxygene in Super-Cannes, a neighborhood in the hills overlooking the Californie district, has placed on his terrace a statue of Tony Montana, the Scarface villain played by Al Pacino. Right: tragedy on the Croisette. In the middle of last year’s festival, a palm tree fell, seriously injuring a Japanese producer who had worked on the film Brand New Landscape, which is being screened at the filmmakers’ fortnight.
The Cannes Film Festival not only attracts movie buffs. Every year, the jet set descends on the city. Superyachts take over the Mediterranean and luxurious villas sparkle along the bay of Cannes. The best suites in the hills of the Californie district are booked months in advance to host prestigious parties away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Whether it’s after-parties on rooftops or cocktails on private beaches, the key is not to leave without being invited.
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Gatsby Randolph is a regular at high society events. Aboard a yacht that he rented for the occasion, he organized a champagne afternoon to celebrate the premiere of his second film: Who is Gatsby Randolph? Part 2.
In Cannes everything is possible. Being discovered as a model, negotiating a contract with a brand, signing with an agency… The largest film festival in the world becomes a huge market of opportunities. Such is the case of this jet-set, who came from the United States to present the second part of his biopic: Who is Gatsby Randolph? Part 2. I met him on the Corniche aboard the yacht he had rented for the occasion. It’s hard to know where the parody ends and reality begins with Randolph.
When I crop faces in my work, I anonymize subjects for whom appearance is everything. Through details of bare backs, close-ups of Rolex watches or shots focused on bright red lips, I reveal the symbols of distinction in this world of luxury. Among the people waiting for their 15 minutes of fame, some refuse to be photographed. But the majority adopt star poses, dazzling smiles, wear Chanel necklaces: these models enjoy long posing in front of my lens and even ask me for private photo sessions by the sea.
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A pair of bare backs: a festival goer and a dog. On the Croisette, even the dogs are dressed up. Since 2001, the Palm Dog has been awarded for the “best canine performance on the big screen.” Here, Felicity, animal rights activist Julia de Cadenet’s dog, struts her stuff.
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Many older people find nightlife less lively than before. Luc, a retiree, is nostalgic for the days he spent in Cannes. “Before you could meet Jean-Paul Belmondo on the beach and chat with him without problems; now the stars are harassed by amateur photographers and no longer dare to go out in public.” With his shirt wide open, he spends his days on the promenade showing off his intense tan, always adorned with his watch and gold chain.
I’ve seen young women leave the theater right after their red carpet appearance because their dresses were too voluminous to watch the movie. A walk on the red carpet is a true gold mine and is at the center of brand strategies. Whether it’s jewelry, beauty products or luxury clothing, major corporations are working with models and celebrities to have their products appear on the red carpet. Associations have multiplied. From the Nespresso-sponsored beach to Louis Vuitton bags, the film festival is becoming a brand festival.
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Mitchell Akat, South Sudanese model, wearing an outfit designed by Harvey Cenit, who invited her to Cannes.
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Ana Peleteiro-Compaoré Brión, the Spanish triple jumper, is escorted to the Majestic for a photo session.
In May, the glamorous world of the jet set mixes with the rest of the hive: Mister and Miss Nobody, dreamy teenagers, vagabonds, spectators on the sidelines or makeup-clad paparazzi. This mix of the ostentatious and the grotesque is both surprising and fascinating. Who is invited? Who is an intruder? Who will win the Palme d’Or? This cocktail of excesses returns us to a harsh reality: fake it until you make it.