It rains on the steps of the Palais des Festivals, this May 20 on the strokes of 22 hours. Either. Ignoring the vagaries of the weather, Natalie Portman who walks the red carpet with the crew of the film May December by Todd Haynes signs what is certainly the most fabulous climb of the steps of this edition in terms of style. The 41-year-old actress steps forward in a strapless ball gown, whose skirt made of petals entirely embroidered with sequins attracts all the attention. And for good reason, in addition to being majestic, this Grand Soir piece in white tulle is historic. It was designed by Christian Dior himself for his autumn-winter 1949 haute couture collection and, since then, has been considered one of the masterpieces of the French couturier.
Natalie Portman in a Dior ball gown surrounded by May December director Todd Haynes and actor Charles Melton. Pascal Le Segretain
A legendary dress
Two years after his first collection in 1947, the one by which he became known thanks to his New Look, Christian Dior is a popular couturier. To satisfy the clothing needs of his high-society clients, he imagined Mid-century: a series of grandiose prom dresses, presented in apotheosis during his fall-winter 1949 show. An episode documented at the time by director Henri Lavorel. The dress is named Juno, named after the most important of the Roman goddesses. Christian Dior pays tribute to her by structuring her skirt in large embroidered scales, an evocation of the peacock feathers, one of the attributes of the divinity. A work in the purest tradition of haute couture embroidered in different shades of blue by René Bégué, illustrious craftsman acclaimed by the great houses of the time.
All appearances of Natalie Portman on the red carpet of Cannes
In pictures
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View slideshow11 photos
From museum to red carpet
Applauded by customers, praised by the press, the dress has remained in the annals. Reinterpreted by artistic director John Galliano and then by Maria Grazia Chiuri, it naturally found its place in 2017 in the exhibition "Christian Dior, couturier du rêve", before moving to the Dior Gallery opened by the brand in 2022. In spring 2023, the museum piece is invited to the Cannes Film Festival, thanks to a colossal reproduction work by Dior couture workshops. With, according to the brand, 4500 hours of embroidery, 1600 of sewing, 200 meters of tulle and twenty people mobilized for its making, the Juno dress by Natalie Portman displays a vertiginous counter. Enough to guarantee a divine apparition under the umbrellas of the Palais de la Croisette.