Bella Hadid may be the queen of Cannes, but she’s paying homage to the French fashion icon.
The 29-year-old model appeared on the Red Carpet premiere of De Gaulle: Tilting Iron on Wednesday wearing a stunning custom Schiaparelli haute couture dress inspired by the late Jane Birkin.
Born in London, Birkin became a major French film star in the 1960s and was known for her trend-setting style. She is the namesake of Hermès’ most famous handbag style, specially designed to replace the trusty woven basket she always carried with her.
Hadid’s custom look, like the original, featured a plunging neckline and a keyhole cutout that dips below her belly button. But her 2026 update added glamor with a sculptural corset and back lace-up.
Both gowns had large black embellishments on the midriff, but Birkin’s gown was a DIY addition.
Birkin appeared at the 1969 Union of Artists Gala in Paris, wearing her dress backwards with a plunging neckline and cinching her waist with a black floral brooch.
According to Schiaparelli’s Instagram post, the stunning design required “22,160 hours of embroidery work and the expertise of 130 artisans.”
Hadid arrived at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival earlier this week and made waves both on and off the red carpet.
Styled by Mimi Cuttrell, the Beauty actress wore a pink gingham crop top and matching low-rise capris from Chantal Thomas’ Spring 1988 collection for her day on the water, and pulled stunning looks from the archives for the brand’s gala, including an Elie Saab Fall 2004 couture dress and Chopard jewelry.
There are also some fresh looks, including Tom Ford straight from the Haider Ackermann runway and a custom Prada dress.
