Once upon a less woke time, Cannes was thick with topless beach babes who got attention for taking off their clothes, not wearing them.
Now it’s the clothes that compel attention – attracting social posts, press, obsessive comment. And once upon a less greedy time, designers cast stars whose images aligned with theirs. Now it’s everything, everyone, all at once.
Case in point: most A-list actresses did double duty at this year’s festival: promoting films while fulfilling contracts as the faces of luxury brands. It’s pay-for-sashay for stars who covet what one Oscar-winning actress euphemistically referred to as “Kardashian money! You can’t make that in movies anymore!” But you can inch closer with a fat Louis Vuitton, Dior or Chanel contract.