Back in 2016, the model, then just 19, made her first official red carpet appearance in a gown the fashion industry can't seem to forget.

L&rsquo;HISTOIRE explores fashion history moments you should know, from what actors wore on a red carpet to celebrities who made cameos on the runway. Some are unsung, and some are better known. Each is part of the fabric of today&rsquo;s fashion world, be it barrier breakers or culture makers.

It's officially May, which, in the entertainment world, means the industry's leading actors, directors, and filmmakers have flocked to the French Riviera for the 2026 iteration of Cannes Film Festival. Of course, the buzzy two-week event is a time-honored tradition and a way to champion all the latest and greatest artistry in film. But as any fashion fan knows, the festival has also produced some of the most memorable style occasions in contemporary history. Boasting dozens of red carpet occasions and plenty of low-key, off-duty coastal chic moments, Cannes is as much a sartorial destination as it is a cinema one. Over the course of the past few years, the festival has seen numerous stunning style moments, but few stars deliver them so consistently as model Bella Hadid, who brings a new array of sophisticated, yet sultry looks each and every year.&nbsp;
In today's cultural landscape, Hadid has been unofficially recognized as the "Queen of Cannes"&mdash;a title bestowed upon her by fans online&mdash;but the origin story of her sartorial success at the festival is no recent phenomenon. As longtime devotees, cinephiles, and fashion fans know, she kicked off her time at the festival with a striking red gown, created by Alexandre Vauthier. Characterized by a plunging deep-V and halter-neck construction at the front, a backless (and largely sideless) silhouette, a slit reaching all the way beyond the hip, and an elegant train, the dress is nothing short of breathtaking. Sensual, elegant, and statement-making, Hadid's look proved to be one of the foremost fashion talking points of the whole festival.&nbsp;

Bella Hadid at Cannes Film Festival in May 2016. Getty Images.

Though many view the model's debut look for the festival's red carpet as truly iconic, Hadid has revealed a glimpse into her real feelings on the frock in the years since she famously wore it. Back in 2021, she told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Plu03Fp7I" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vogue</a> that she was nervous in the dress. 
"I look very sexual and all these things. I was still nervous about cameras and nervous about having a lot of makeup on and nervous about... this slit was, like&mdash;thank God, I think that maybe there was one little slip that happened. But I kind of get embarrassed by this moment still, even though the dress is gorgeous," she said.&nbsp;
Over the course of recent years, Hadid has become one of many stars to join the naked dressing movement. Despite the positive reception the looks garner, she says they don't "feel like me." In the same interview, she looked back on the dress fondly, but said:&nbsp;"It's just, again, doesn't feel so much like me, and I think that this was the start of the Bella persona that everyone sees of me. That's my alter ego, that's Belinda. I'm just so the opposite of her. She's very va-va-voom. You know, bless her, love her, she was very nervous."

L'HISTOIRE: Bella Hadid's Red-Hot Cannes Film Festival Debut

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