Considered one of the “Big Five” international film festivals, Cannes has long been a popular venue for supermodels and high fashion. Every year, some of the most prominent runway stars flock to the event, sharing the red carpet with actors, directors and producers who are promoting their latest work in cinema. But why have models become such a fundamental presence at the Cannes Film Festival? To answer that, one must look at the event’s sponsors.
Cannes features an extensive list of luxury sponsors, which this year includes companies like Air France, Angénieux, BMW, Brut, Chopard, Dessange, J.P. Morgan, L’Oréal Paris, Mastercard, Nespresso, TikTok and Kering, among others. To maximize their visibility and prestige during the event, those brands often invite models and influencers as brand ambassadors.
Alessandra Ambrosio at the Opening Ceremony and “Leave One Day” premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2025.
Earl Gibson III
Naomi Campbell, Alessandra Ambrosio, Irina Shayk, Isabeli Fontana and Natasha Poly, to name a few, are some of the names who are often invited to represent one of the sponsors on the red carpet. “This red carpet [Cannes] is definitely the most glamorous red carpet in the world. The whole world has their eyes on this red carpet,” Ambrosio told WWD in 2023.
Bella Hadid at the Opening Ceremony and “Leave One Day” Premiere at the 78th Cannes Film Festival held at Palais des Festivals on May 13, 2025 in Cannes, France.
Earl Gibson III
A sponsor since 1998 and manufacturer of the festival’s Palme d’Or trophy, Chopard has been represented at the festival by Stella Maxwell, Eva Herzigova and Bella Hadid, among others, over the years. This year, Hadid, who became a Chopard ambassador in 2024, returned to Cannes as a guest of the brand.
L’Oréal Paris, a partner of Cannes since 1997, has brought guests such as Cara Delevingne and Kendall Jenner. In 2025, the brand is being represented by Heidi Klum and Eva Longoria. The actress is celebrating two decades of ambassadorship with the brand.
Heidi Klum attends the red carpet for the opening ceremony and “Partir Un Jour” (Leave One Day) screening at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 13, 2025.
Getty Images
Kering, another longtime partner of Cannes, also benefits from the models on the red carpet, often wearing pieces from one of its brands — Kering owns Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta and Alexander McQueen, among others.
According to Launchmetrics, in 2024, Chopard earned $32.3 million in total media impact value through its association with the festival, while L’Oréal had $5.6 million MIV throughout the two weeks of the event.
The Cannes Film Festival 2025 started on Tuesday and will run through May 24.
