The Lido is officially draped in couture. The 83rd Venice Film Festival kicked off this week, and the best dressed Venice Film Festival 2026 conversation is already dominating fashion feeds. A star-studded guest list has turned the Palazzo del Cinema into as much of a runway as a red carpet. From black-tie premieres to low-key water-taxi arrivals, Venice red carpet 2026 looks are proving once again why this is one of the most closely watched style calendars of the year.
Leading the charge is Amal Clooney, who arrived alongside husband George Clooney ahead of his Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, presented by Laura Dern at the opening ceremony. Amal traded her usual sun-soaked palette for something moodier this year. She stepped out in a Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann piece, then switched into a custom black silk taffeta gown with sculptural, razor-sharp pleating for the main event, a bold departure that instantly set the tone for Venice Film Festival 2026 fashion.
Soft Tones, Sharp Tailoring
Laura Dern kept things soft and romantic, choosing a pink satin Emilia Wickstead gown for the Ink screening and opening party, having earlier touched down in an Alaïa white shirt dress with black wide-leg trousers and a pop of green from a Longchamp tote.
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Claire Foy, in Venice for the premiere of Danny Boyle’s Ink, embraced quiet-luxury tailoring courtesy of Bottega Veneta, finishing the look with oversized sunglasses and the label’s Jodie handbag.
Minimalism Wins The Airport
Among this year’s most talked-about Venice Film Festival celebrity fashion moments is Kendall Jenner’s airport arrival. Attending as an Armani Beauty global ambassador for her first-ever Venice appearance, the model kept her outfit deliberately minimal: a crisp white tank and matching trousers, The Row flats, and oversized sunglasses. An unreleased, taupe suede Chanel Cruise 2027 duffel bag did all the talking.
Sydney Sweeney, also representing Armani Beauty, brought texture and trend to the Venice Film Festival red carpet looks roundup in a sheer floral lace top and coordinating belted Bermuda shorts from Georges Chakra’s Spring 2003 archive, paired with clear Gianvito Rossi mules. The pairing cemented the transparent-heel trend as one of the season’s biggest footwear statements.
Elsewhere, Stella Maxwell turned heads in a sheer black lace gown with a dramatic draped back, while Bianca Balti made a sculptural entrance in a pastel-pink, wing-detailed creation.
Alessandra Ambrosio opted for a fitted black dress with ruched detailing and statement diamonds. The opening ceremony carpet itself brought out Armani Privé on Nina Dobrev, Prada on Dern, Celine on Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Giorgio Armani on Zazie Beetz and Brittany Snow.
With ten days of premieres, galas, and photocalls still ahead, and George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn both set to receive Golden Lions, the Venice Film Festival celebrity looks are only expected to get bigger.
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If the opening days are any indication, 2026 is shaping up to be a year defined by sculptural silhouettes, archive dressing and a returning appetite for drama on the world’s oldest film festival carpet.
