The 2023 Venice International Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday. While this year’s festival is expected to look much different with Hollywood on strike, throughout the years, the event has been graced by some of the film’s biggest stars — from Scarlett Johansson to Salma Hayek.
Throughout the festival’s history and up through the early ‘2000s, the festival had long been characterized by traditional black-tie attire from tuxedo to elegant black gowns. In the past few years, actresses have begun making bolder style choices for the affair, from feather-trimmed printed gowns to sequin caftans.
Here, WWD takes a look back at some of the major fashion moments and stars who’ve graced the Venice Film Festival through the years.
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Venice Film Festival, 1954
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive Gina Lollobrigida arrives at the 1954 Venice Film Festival to attend the premiere of her new movie “Woman of Rome.”
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Venice Film Festival, 1956
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive Maria Meneghini Callas, Italian Opera singer, arriving at International Film Festival in 1956.
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Venice Film Festival, 1958
Image Credit: ullstein bild via Getty Images Sophia Loren at the 1958 Venice Film Festival.
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Venice Film Festival, 1967
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive Jane Fonda and husband, Roger Vadim, at the 1967 Venice Film Festival.
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Venice Film Festival, 1990
Image Credit: Penske Media via Getty Images Anjelica Huston and Robert Graham attend “Made in Milan” film premiere and dinner party at 1990 Venice Film Festival.
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Venice Film Festival, 2002
Image Credit: Getty Images American actress Elizabeth Berkley and Craig Lauren attend the opening ceremony of the 59th Venice Film Festival on Aug. 29, 2002, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2003
Image Credit: Getty Images Actress Scarlett Johansson arrives at the screening of the new Sofia Coppola film “Lost In Translation” at the 60th Venice Film Festival on Aug. 31, 2003, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2004
Image Credit: Getty Images Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson attend “The Terminal” opening night premiere at the 61st Venice Film Festival on Sept. 1, 2004, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2005
Image Credit: Getty Images Actress Jacqueline Bisset arrives at the premiere of out of competition film “The Fine Art of Love – Mine Ha Ha” on the first day of the 62nd Venice Film Festival on Aug. 31, 2005, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2006
Image Credit: Getty Images Actress Sandra Bullock arrives at the “Infamous” premiere on the second day of the 63rd Venice Film Festival on Aug. 31, 2006, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2007
Image Credit: Getty Images Keira Knightley arrives for the Opening Ceremony and the “Atonement” premiere at the 64th Annual Venice Film Festival on Aug. 29, 2007, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2008
Image Credit: Getty Images Model Claudia Schiffer arrives at the opening ceremony and “Burn After Reading” Premiere during the 65th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on Aug. 27, 2008, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2009
Image Credit: Getty Images Actress Eva Mendes attends the opening ceremony and Baaria Red Carpet at the Sala Grande during the 66th Venice Film Festival on Sept. 2, 2009, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2010
Image Credit: Getty Images Actress Jessica Alba attends the “Machete” premiere during the 67th Venice Film Festival at the Sala Grande Palazzo Del Cinema on Sept. 1, 2010, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2011
Image Credit: Getty Images Actress Anna Falchi attends the “Box Office 3D” premiere during the 68th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema on Aug. 30, 2011, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2012
Image Credit: Getty Images Actress Winona Ryder attends “The Iceman” premiere during the 69th Venice Film Festival on Aug. 30, 2012, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2013
Image Credit: Getty Images Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend Miu Miu Women’s Tales during the 70th Venice International Film Festival on Aug. 29, 2013, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2014
Image Credit: Getty Images Actor Adam Driver attends the ‘Hungry Hearts’ premiere during the 71st Venice Film Festival on Aug. 31, 2014, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2015
Image Credit: Getty Images Elizabeth Banks attends a premiere for “Beasts Of No Nation” during the 72nd Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on Sept. 3, 2015, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2016
Image Credit: Getty Images Actress Emma Stone attends the opening ceremony and premiere of “La La Land” during the 73rd Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on Aug. 31, 2016, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2017
Image Credit: Getty Images Octavia Spencer walks the red carpet ahead of the “The Shape Of Water” screening during the 74th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on Aug. 31, 2017, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2018
Image Credit: Getty Images Ryan Gosling walks the red carpet ahead of the opening ceremony and the “First Man” screening during the 75th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on Aug. 29, 2018, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2019
Image Credit: Getty Images Iman walks the red carpet ahead of the Opening Ceremony and the “La Vérité” (The Truth) screening during the 76th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on Aug. 28, 2019, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2020
Image Credit: Getty Images Venezia77 jury president Cate Blanchett walks the red carpet ahead of the opening ceremony and the “Lacci” red carpet during the 77th Venice Film Festival at on Sept. 2, 2020, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2021
Image Credit: Getty Images Georgina Rodriguez attends the red carpet of the movie “Madres Paralelas” during the 78th Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 1, 2021, in Venice, Italy.
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Venice Film Festival, 2022
Image Credit: Getty Images Jodie Turner-Smith attends the “Bardo” red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 1, 2022, in Venice, Italy.