Venice has once again become the ultimate destination for cinema, celebrity and spectacular fashion. Each year, the floating city welcomes some of the biggest names in entertainment for one of the most prestigious events on the international film calendar—and, inevitably, one of the most glamorous red carpets of the year.
While the Venice Film Festival is centred around cinema, the fashion surrounding its premieres has become a major attraction in its own right. From dramatic arrivals by water taxi to star-studded screenings and glamorous evening events, every appearance offers the opportunity for a memorable style moment.
And the 2026 edition has already produced plenty.
This year’s red carpet has seen a compelling mix of contemporary couture, archival fashion, bold colour and dramatic design. Against Venice’s historic and cinematic surroundings, celebrities have embraced the occasion with looks that range from understated sophistication to full-scale fashion spectacle.
The setting only makes those moments more memorable. Historic palazzos line the canals, water taxis transport stars across the lagoon and the Palazzo del Cinema transforms into one of the most closely watched fashion stages in the world.
Among the names capturing attention so far are Pamela Anderson, Vittoria Ceretti, Irina Shayk, Kendall Jenner and Mariacarla Boscono. Their appearances have brought five very different interpretations of red-carpet glamour, from vibrant colour and Italian craftsmanship to contemporary sensuality, archival elegance and theatrical couture.
With more premieres and appearances still to come, Venice is sure to deliver even more unforgettable fashion moments. For now, however, these are some of the looks that have defined the conversation at Venice Film Festival 2026.
Pamela Anderson makes a bold case for orange
Pamela Anderson brought a welcome burst of colour to Venice during her appearance at the AmfAR Gala.
The actress stepped onto the red carpet in a vivid orange satin gown, paired with a coordinating shawl that added an extra sense of refinement to the ensemble. Surrounded by the more traditional shades of black, white and metallics, the bold colour immediately set the look apart.
The appearance also reflected the evolution of Anderson’s personal style. In recent years, she has embraced a more natural and effortless approach to glamour, often allowing strong silhouettes and luxurious fabrics to do the talking.
Her Venice look followed that same philosophy.
The satin created a beautiful luminosity under the lights, while the clean design ensured that the vibrant orange remained the centre of attention.
The result was elegant without being overly complicated and dramatic without relying on excessive detail. Anderson proved that sometimes the most effective red-carpet statement begins with one unforgettable shade.
Vittoria Ceretti delivers effortless Italian sophistication
Vittoria Ceretti brought a distinctly Italian sense of elegance to the festival in a custom Armani Privé gown.
As one of the most influential models working today, Ceretti has become known for her ability to make high fashion look completely effortless. Whether she is walking a runway or stepping onto an international red carpet, she brings a natural confidence that allows even the most elaborate designs to feel remarkably easy.
Her Armani Privé appearance was no exception.
The custom gown combined refined craftsmanship with timeless glamour, reflecting the sophisticated design language that has long defined the Italian house.
There was also something particularly meaningful about the combination of model, designer and location. An Italian supermodel wearing Italian couture in Venice created a moment that celebrated the country’s extraordinary influence on fashion.
Ceretti allowed the gown to remain at the heart of the look, relying on impeccable construction and elegant styling rather than unnecessary embellishment.
The result was polished, modern and undeniably sophisticated—a standout example of Italian glamour at its finest.
Irina Shayk takes a darker approach to glamour
Irina Shayk brought a sharper energy to the Venice red carpet for The Echo Chamber screening.
The model arrived in a fitted black dress featuring striking lace-up details, offering a darker and more contemporary interpretation of festival glamour.
Rather than embracing the soft, flowing silhouettes often associated with Venice, Shayk opted for a look with more structure and attitude. The fitted shape created a powerful outline, while the lace-up elements introduced a sense of edge.
The overall effect was sleek, sensual and confidently modern.
Black has always been a red-carpet favourite, but Shayk demonstrated that the timeless colour can still feel exciting when combined with unexpected details and a strong silhouette.
Her appearance also reflected the fearless approach to fashion that has made her one of the most compelling figures on the international style scene.
By balancing classic elegance with contemporary attitude, Shayk created a look that felt entirely at home in Venice while still standing apart from the more traditional red-carpet choices around her.
Kendall Jenner brings the Armani archives into the present
Kendall Jenner made one of the festival’s most memorable appearances by looking to fashion history.
The supermodel stepped onto the Venice red carpet wearing a shimmering gold floral sequin dress from Giorgio Armani’s autumn/winter 1995 collection, giving an archival design a spectacular new moment in the spotlight.
The intricate embellishment caught the light beautifully, creating a glamorous effect that felt perfectly suited to Venice’s cinematic surroundings. Gold tones and floral details brought a sense of luxury to the look while preserving the distinctive character of the original design.
Archival fashion has become an increasingly important part of modern celebrity dressing. Beyond creating visually striking moments, vintage pieces allow stars to revisit influential periods in fashion and introduce iconic designs to an entirely new audience.
Jenner’s Armani choice accomplished exactly that.
The gown was more than simply a beautiful vintage piece—it represented a connection between fashion’s history and its present.
Venice, with its rich cultural heritage and timeless relationship with glamour, provided the ideal setting. Surrounded by contemporary couture, Jenner’s archival choice was a reminder that some of fashion’s most exciting moments can come from revisiting the past.
Mariacarla Boscono turns Chanel into the ultimate statement
Mariacarla Boscono delivered one of the most dramatic and unforgettable looks of Venice Film Festival 2026 in a spectacular Chanel Cruise 2027 ballgown.
Covered in French newspaper headlines, the striking creation immediately became one of the festival’s biggest fashion talking points.
The elongated silhouette transformed typography into a bold visual statement, with printed headlines becoming an essential part of the design itself. While the concept evoked some of fashion’s most famous newspaper-print creations, Chanel brought a distinctive sense of drama and theatricality to the idea.
The result was playful, bold and impossible to overlook.
There was also an undeniable sense of irony in the moment: Boscono arrived wearing the headlines while becoming one herself.
Her appearance was the kind of fashion moment designed to live far beyond the red carpet. Through photographs, social media and endless conversations within the fashion world, the Chanel creation quickly established itself as one of the festival’s defining visual moments.
And perhaps that is exactly what makes Venice so special.
The festival’s extraordinary setting encourages fashion to become more expressive, more dramatic and more imaginative. Against historic architecture and the cinematic beauty of the floating city, a red-carpet look can become something much bigger than an outfit.
Boscono’s Chanel gown did precisely that.
It was not simply a beautiful piece of fashion—it was a statement, a spectacle and one of the most memorable style moments Venice Film Festival 2026 has delivered so far.
