Decoding the Style Statements of the 2025 Venice International Film Festival

The Venice International Film Festival is never just about the films. It’s a sprawling, sun-drenched spectacle where the art of cinema and the art of the outfit collide on the most iconic red carpet in the world. The 2025 edition, set against the timeless backdrop of the Lido, was a masterclass in narrative dressing—a season where fashion spoke as loudly as the dialogue on screen.

This year, the vibe was a captivating push-and-pull between earnest elegance and playful intellect. The style wasn't just about looking beautiful; it was about telling a story, paying a tribute, or sparking a conversation. It was fashion with a point of view.

The Cinematic Backdrop: A Season of Heavyweights

To understand the fashion, one must first appreciate the formidable cinematic energy that fueled it. This was a year of auteur-driven powerhouses and bold narratives. The festival's top prize, the Golden Lion, was awarded to the gripping "I'm Still Here," a film that cemented its status by later edging out the acclaimed "Emilia Pérez" for the Best International Feature Oscar.

The premieres were events in themselves, generating a palpable buzz that electrified the Lido. Guillermo del Toro's highly anticipated "Frankenstein",starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, and Yorgos Lanthimos's enigmatic "Bugonia" with Emma Stone, drew massive attention for their visionary storytelling. Meanwhile, Luca Guadagnino's "After the Hunt," featuring a captivating Julia Roberts, held audiences spellbound. This context of high-art cinema set the stage for a red carpet that needed to match that level of intentionality and creative force.

The Mood: Elegance Meets Wit

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

The festival opened with Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia, and its tone of elegance and introspection bled seamlessly into the fashion. We saw a return to classic, almost royal, formality.

Prince Nikolai of Denmark epitomized this perfectly at the premiere, trading a standard black tuxedo for a sumptuous velvet tuxedo in a deep, jewel-toned hue. It was a look that whispered old-world Hollywood glamour but felt utterly contemporary—a nod to tradition without being trapped by it.

This sense of refined elegance was the baseline, the serious foundation upon which more playful statements were built.

The Statement: Homage as the Highest Form of Flattery

Jacopo Raule

If Prince Nikolai represented the established canon, Julia Roberts provided the festival's most viral, and arguably most genius, fashion moment. Her choice—a custom cardigan featuring the face of director Luca Guadagnino—was nothing short of sartorial brilliance.

This wasn't just a look; it was a thesis statement. It broke the fourth wall of red-carpet fashion. Moving beyond brand allegiances, Roberts used her immense style capital to champion a creator. The cardigan, often a symbol of comfort and ease, was transformed into a medium for high-concept homage. It was intellectual, witty, and deeply personal—sparking conversations that stretched far beyond the usual "who are you wearing?" It signaled a shift towards fashion that is in on the joke, in on the art, and in on the community of filmmaking.

The Vibe Shift: Authenticity Over Performance

Earl Gibson III

This year, a fascinating meta-conversation emerged, echoing the debates happening in the theaters themselves. Just as critics questioned the authenticity of marathon 23-minute standing ovations, the fashion felt like a move towards more genuine expression.

The choices felt considered, not just crowd-pleasing. The velvet tuxedo, the director-cardigan—these were not looks designed solely for a flashbulb moment. They were layered with meaning, reflecting a wearer who is culturally literate and confident enough to make a statement that requires a bit of context to fully appreciate. It was a rejection of the performative in favor of the personal, a desire to connect with the art form on a deeper level.

The Takeaway: Wear Your Influences

So, what’s the lasting style impression from the 2025 Lido? It’s that the most powerful look you can wear is one that tells a story. The new red-carpet elegance isn’t just about silk and sequins; it’s about intellectual curiosity and heartfelt tribute.

It’s about embracing the drama of a velvet tuxedo like a modern-day prince of cinema, or championing a visionary director with the comfort and wit of a beloved knit. The vibe is literate, it's personal, and it proves that the most memorable style moments are those that come from a genuine place of appreciation. The Lido wasn’t just watching the movies this year; it was wearing its heart on its sleeve.