Bella Hadid is back. This week at Cannes Film Festival, the made her long-awaited red carpet comeback in a see-through Saint Laurent gown, for the premiere of . Further appearances followed, including a DSquared2 AW06 archival look for the Chopard Gala, a vintage gold Versace mini, a Gucci SS05 dress and — pictured on the balcony of the legendary Hôtel Martinez — a Dolce & Gabbana corseted number.
Swarms of paparazzi and fans have been following her every move, watching intently to see what she’ll wear next. She’s been dubbed the “Queen of Cannes” on social media, and posts of her looks from the across TikTok accounts have garnered over half-a-million views. From her debut in 2015 to 2023, Hadid became one of the most powerful models and influencers in fashion.
A mainstay on every major runway, from and Versace to Fendi and Stella McCartney, she generated 852 per cent more views on her runway looks than any other model for AW22, according to British . Influencer intelligence Lefty found that, when Hadid walks the runway, she accounts for almost a third of the show’s earned media value, on average. But in 2023, arguably at the height of her prowess, Hadid abruptly left the limelight.
She moved to Texas to focus on her and physical health, and largely stopped modelling and attending events. She skipped the Met Gala in 2023 and 2024. “After 10 years of modelling, I realised I was putting so much energy and love and into something that, in the long run, wasn’t.
