Yes we Cannes
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Mathilde Binetruy
Freelance journalist
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Since May 14th, the Cannes Film Festival has kept us on the edge of our seats. Will Sophie Marceau be the victim of yet another wardrobe malfunction? Will Roman Abramovitch get a parking fine for his yacht? Grab your popcorn and enjoy the last moments of glitz and glamour on the Croisette.
Oops, I did it again!
The Cartier Baignoire Allongée Celadon puts things back into perspective, dusting off a classic to better accompany possible wardrobe mishaps. It wouldn’t be Cannes without an actress temporarily losing control of her gown to reveal more than she had bargained for. Sophie Marceau is a repeat offender. After the infamous Nipplegate in 2005, the actress fell victim to a sudden gust of wind in 2015. Message to Margot Robbie, Penélope Cruz and Léa Seydoux who are walking the red carpet this year: hang on to your hat!
Surprise, surprise
Like Baselworld sans Nick Hayek puffing on a cigar, a red-carpet moment that goes smoothly is missing something. For magic to happen, there has to be a fall (a Chinese beauty queen in 2018), a nip-slip (see above), a bad boy (Colin Farrell in 2017) or a disruptive accessory: the RJ Arraw “The Joker” for example, inspired by the iconic Batman villain and antithesis of the Dark Knight.
Party all night
The Chopard party is one of the Croisette’s hottest tickets. Who could forget Rihanna electrifying the night at the 2017 Space Party? Or Kendall Jenner at risk of catching a chill in a see-through dress at the Secret Night in 2018? This is the party where anything can happen. Who knows, maybe the Chopard Imperiale Joaillerie Rainbow will lead us to the crock of gold at the end of its rainbow of multicoloured sapphires.
In the pink
Rambo: Last Blood, Pain and Glory, The Dead Don’t Die: are we detecting a sombre mood to the films being shown at the 72nd festival? The antidote to bouts of melancholy is to wear a Grönefeld 1941 Principia Automatic with a salmon dial that’s bang on-trend, now that “living coral” has been named Pantone Color of the Year 2019. After the final episode of Game of Thrones, the departure of Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet from SIHH, and Breitling’s exit from Baselworld, Pantone assures us that this “life-affirming” colour “symbolises our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits”. And you thought it was just pink!
Carioca
Honouring cult French comedy La Cité de la Peur, a flash mob recreated the Carioca dance scene from the movie. Dress code: black trousers, white shirt and a Hermès Arceau Heure de la Lune watch whose two subdials gravitate around mother-of-pearl moons.
Cheers!
For the past 25 years, official supplier Piper-Heidsieck has kept the champagne flowing at the Cannes Film Festival. Over 12 days, corks are popped on some 10,000 bottles, enough to fill 360,000 flutes. What more perfect attire for making a toast than a sparkling lame dress, with a Piaget Possession Cuff watch on an 18k woven gold Milanese bracelet on one arm and Brad Pitt on the other. Then it’s off to the première of what else but Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood!
Scandal
In 2018 the Weinstein affair was on everyone’s mind. This year Alain Delon’s Honorary Palme d’Or is causing uproar. A petition was launched requesting that the festival withdraw the award, in view of the actor’s controversial attitudes towards women, the LGBT+ community and immigration. If you’re tired of all the scandals, take Montblanc’s advice and reconnect with nature. Pop on a Geosphere 1858, bask in the birdsong and reflect on CEO Nicolas Baretski’s exhortation that “we need to reconnect with ourselves and the world.” Alternatively, “don’t listen to the noise of the world, listen to the silence of the soul.” That was Jean-Claude Van Damme, by the way.
Small steps
On July 21st 1969, Neil Armstrong climbed down the ladder of the Eagle lunar module. On May 25th 2019, a director will climb onto the stage to receive the 2019 Palme d’Or. A few small steps that last just seconds but leave a lifetime of memories. One watch helps overcome that floating sensation: the Omega Speedmaster.
Wakey wakey
The festival-goer’s worst nightmare? Missing a screening after one shot too many the night before. Fortunately, Bell & Ross comes to the rescue with a competition chrono, the BR03-94 RS19. You can even wear it again a week later at the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, since it was developed in partnership with Renault F1 Team.
Green Card
Do you smell the salt in the air? Feel the sea spray on your cheek? Hear the cry of the gulls and the lapping of the waves? At Cannes, films aren’t the only opportunity to escape the everyday. An Oris Clean Ocean Limited Edition watch lands you in the middle of the ocean. The brand has released it in support of efforts to clean up the plastic waste that is clogging oceans all over the world. Suddenly the war waged between the Cannes Film Festival and Netflix doesn’t seem quite so urgent…
