Halle Berry stole the spotlight at the Chopard Universe Gala at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Gaurav Gupta couture — days after ditching his outfit for her red carpet appearance. Following speculation, the Hollywood actor finally embraced the designer’s vision, dropping jaws in a corseted Bordeaux spiral gown from Jyotirgamaya, his Autumn-Winter ’24 Couture collection.
The strapless gown featured a structured corset bodice and the designer’s signature sculptural draping — an architectural trail. The Cannes 2025 jury member styled the look with pointed stilettos and ruby drop earrings. The collection draws inspiration from the Sanskrit phrase “a journey from darkness to light,” exploring emotional evolution through surreal silhouettes and cosmic energy.
In an exclusive conversation, the ace designer told , “Fashion has its own timing. The energy around this look built up quietly and then landed with full impact. Halle wore it with such ease and command — it was a moment worth waiting for.”
“There was a lot of talk about whether Halle would wear our look. Seeing her finally bring this to life — and own it with such grace and power — made an even stronger impact. The right moment always finds you,” he added in a press release.
On the eve of May 12, 2025, the Cannes Film Festival shared its official charter banning nudity, voluptuous gowns, and long trains. “For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the Red Carpet, as well as in any other area of the Festival. Voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train, that hinder the proper flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theater are not permitted. The Festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit Red Carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules,” read the document.
In light of the new dress code regulations, Halle Berry had previously spoken about her last-minute outfit change during the Cannes jury press conference: “I had an amazing dress by [Gaurav] Gupta to wear tonight, and I cannot wear it because the train’s too big.”
Variety reported that she wasn’t completely upset about it and decided to follow the new rules. “I had to make a pivot. But the nudity part, I do think, is probably also a good rule,” the Academy Award winner had said, instead choosing a black-and-white striped Jacquemus halter-neck gown for her red carpet appearance.
Following the series of events, Gupta told indianexpress.com, “Our teams had been working closely with Halle Berry and her stylist to bring a special moment to life at Cannes. While the gown couldn’t be worn due to updated regulations around long trains, we remain proud of the vision we created together. doesn’t always need a stage; sometimes, just the intention is enough to ignite the imagination.”
This moment reaffirms Gaurav Gupta’s growing global influence — a fusion of Indian craftsmanship, boundary-pushing design, and red-carpet storytelling.
