It happens every time: We go around calling the Met Gala “the most glamorous red carpet of the year,” and then Cannes sneaks up on us and throws us for a loop.
After little more than a week of downtime since the Costume Institute extravaganza, Hollywood has begun to venture across the Atlantic for the annual 12-day film festival, and we’re taking the opportunity to look back on the French Riviera’s best red-carpet looks of years past. Unlike, say, Sundance, Cannes is as much a spectacle as it is an industry affair?there are black-tie galas, opening and closing ceremonies, and enough million-dollar jewels lent out to actresses to make your head spin. It’s also been held since 1946, which means you’ll find vintage shots of Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve alongside recent snaps of Lupita Nyong’o and Diane Kruger in the gallery ahead. Check back throughout this week and next to see how this year’s batch of gowns measures up.
MORE: Every Single Look from the 2016 Met Gala Red Carpet

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