83rd VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026: THE RED CARPET TRENDS AND FASHION STORIES TO WATCH

There are film festivals, and then there is Venice.

From September 2 to 12, 2026, the 83rd Venice International Film Festival will bring the film world back to the Lido. With Maggie Gyllenhaal serving as Jury President and Danny Boyle’s Ink opening the festival, there is already plenty to look forward to on the cinema side. But for anyone who follows fashion, Venice has another attraction: The red carpet.

Venice is one of those festival settings where clothes really stand out. Arriving by boat, wearing an evening gown by the lagoon or seeing a sharp suit outside the Palazzo del Cinema can all make the outfit look even more special. The city itself becomes part of the look. Over the years, the festival has developed its own fashion language, somewhere between old-school movie glamour and a more relaxed modern approach to dressing.

Image Source: Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images

Venice is one of those festival settings where clothes really stand out. Arriving by boat, wearing an evening gown by the lagoon or seeing a sharp suit outside the Palazzo del Cinema can all make the outfit look even more special. The city itself becomes part of the look. Over the years, the festival has made its own style, mixing old school movie glamour with a more relaxed and modern way of dressing.

So what should we be watching for at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival 2026?

Couture will be part of it, naturally. But so will archival fashion, interesting tailoring, beauty looks and the way celebrities build a wardrobe across an entire press tour rather than saving everything for one premiere.

COUTURE, NATURALLY

Venice is one of those rare events where dressing up and going all out feels completely right.

The red carpet is a great place to wear a dress with long, dramatic train, a fitted bodice or beautiful handmade details. Couture works really well here because the surroundings already have so much character. Against Venice’s old buildings and the lagoon, clothes with texture, movement and craftsmanship have a chance to really register.

That does not mean every look needs to be huge.

A simple column gown can still look beautiful. The right fit and fabric can make it stand out. This year, it will be interesting to see old Hollywood style mixed with modern fashion.

A classic dress can look fresh with the right styling. A modern dress can also look timeless in Venice. Small details can change the whole look, like the fit of the dress, the fabric, and the jewellery. Even simple jewellery can make a difference.

THE ARCHIVE IS CALLING

Archival fashion has become a favourite on the celebrity circuit, and Venice feels like a natural home for it.

There is something especially fitting about seeing a historic gown arrive on the Venice red carpet. The festival has a strong connection to the past. This can be seen in its cinema, art, buildings, and Italian fashion.

Wearing an old designer piece can make an outfit more interesting. It is not only about looking good in photos. The outfit can also have a story. A vintage couture dress can remind people of an older time in fashion. It can also show a designer’s past work. Sometimes, it can bring attention to a collection that people did not notice before. Venice has a lot of history, so these old fashion pieces fit in well.

The best archival moments, however, are not about recreating the past. They are about making it feel relevant again.

That might mean taking a dress from an older collection and styling it with minimal jewellery and modern hair. It could also mean choosing a less-known runway piece instead of a famous vintage look. Sometimes, a dress can look good even if people do not know much about it.

A stylist can help make the outfit look better. The dress maybe old, but the right styling can make it look new. An old-style dress can look modern. Simple hair and makeup can also make an old dress look fresh.

It also makes the red carpet feel more connected to cinema. Films often bring back different eras, retell old stories and give the past a new meaning in the present. Archival fashion does something similar. It takes an existing piece of fashion history and gives it another life, another wearer and another audience.

For fashion lovers, that makes the red carpet more interesting. There is always the possibility of discovering a piece that sends you back into a designer’s archive looking for the original collection and seeing an old design in a completely new way.

BEAUTY GETS ITS CLOSE-UP

Image Source: Photo by JB Lacroix/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Beauty is just as important as the clothes in Venice. Celebrities have many events, so they can try different hair and makeup looks. During the day, they might wear simple makeup and leave their hair loose. At night, they can choose stronger makeup, darker eyes, or a nice updo.

Expect skin to remain important. Natural-looking, glowing skin can look really good with couture, especially when the dress already has a lot of detail. If the dress is simple, you can have more fun with the makeup or hairstyle.

There is still room for classic Venice glamour. Soft waves, neat buns, and simple makeup can give a small touch of old Hollywood without copying the look completely.

The most successful beauty looks will probably be the ones that feel connected to the clothes rather than competing with them.

THE PRESS TOUR HAS BECOME THE MAIN EVENT

The red carpet is no longer the whole fashion story.

A celebrity’s Venice wardrobe can begin long before the premiere. There are airport arrivals, first appearances on the Lido, boat rides across the lagoon, photocalls, interviews and press conferences, all before the evening’s main event. Then comes the premiere and potentially, an after-party look to finish the night.

Each appearance gives the stylist another chance to build on what came before.

That is why celebrity press tour styling has become so interesting to watch. The best outfits can feel like one story. A celebrity might wear a simple look during the day, a smart outfit for a photocall, and a more dramatic dress for the premiere.

Daytime looks can be simple and comfortable. They might wear trousers, a jacket, flats, or sunglasses. For the evening, they can dress up with a beautiful gown, a bold look, or statement jewellery.

The wardrobe can also connect with the film itself. A colour might echo the mood of the story. A silhouette could reference the period in which the film is set. Even a small accessory can become part of the visual language.

The story does not have to end after the premiere. The after party is another chance to try a different look. They can wear something shorter, simple, or more relaxed.

When the outfits match the events and each other, they can feel like one story. It is not only about who wore the best dress. People can also look at how the whole look came together.

In Venice, people take photos of almost every arrival. So, the outfits can be just as memorable as the premiere.

THE UNEXPECTED STYLE STAR

Venice always leaves room for surprise.

The look everyone talks about might come from a famous A-lister, but it could just as easily be an emerging actor attending their first major festival. A great suit, an unexpected archival piece or a fresh beauty look can be enough to get people talking. That unpredictability is part of what makes Venice Film Festival style so interesting.

Red carpet fashion can sometimes feel predictable, especially when celebrities are wearing looks from the same few major fashion houses. Venice has a way of breaking that pattern. The setting helps, but so does the mix of established stars and new talent.

The looks people remember are not always the most dramatic. They are often the ones with a strong shape, a clear idea and a style that feels personal. 

VENICE, THROUGH A FASHION LENS

At its heart, the Venice Film Festival is about cinema. But over the years, it has grown into something much bigger, bringing together film, fashion, beauty and celebrity culture on a global stage.

For designers, it is a chance to show their work to people around the world. For stylists, it is an opportunity to create a complete look and identity. And for celebrities, what they wear can become part of how people remember them, and sometimes even the film itself.

That is what makes the 83rd Venice International Film Festival 2026 Fashion worth following.

Look out for couture that focuses on craftsmanship rather than excess, archival pieces that give fashion history a fresh feel, and tailoring that puts a modern twist on traditional eveningwear. Also pay attention to how hair and makeup can change the mood of an outfit, and how celebrity looks develop from their first arrival to the final premiere.

Most importantly, look beyond the obvious choices. The best fashion story may be hiding in an unexpected vintage find, a beautifully cut suit or a newcomer who gets the styling exactly right.

The films may bring the celebrities to Venice.

But once the cameras start flashing, fashion takes over.