The 83rd Venice International Film Festival opened in spectacular fashion on September 2, 2026, drawing a constellation of Hollywood royalty, rising stars and supermodels to the sun-drenched red carpet on the Lido. From Danny Boyle's opening-night premiere of Ink to the festival's glittering ceremony, the fashion stakes were extraordinarily high — and the stars delivered, with Giorgio Armani, Prada, Bottega Veneta and Tom Ford among the most-spotted house names of the evening.

Amal Clooney was the picture of sleek glamour in a ruched black Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann spaghetti-strap gown, arriving hand-in-arm with George Clooney, who was dapper in a classic black tuxedo. - Getty Images.
Laura Dern turned heads on opening night in a blush pink cap-sleeve midi dress by Prada, completing the dreamy look with a gemstone necklace featuring ruby and diamond details. - Getty Images.
Claire Foy went head-to-toe red in a custom Bottega Veneta satin column gown, elevating the monochromatic moment with elbow-length red leather opera gloves and a delicate diamond necklace. - Getty Images.
Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal commanded quiet authority in a draped black Celine gown, its off-the-shoulder wrap construction and chain necklace embodying the understated tailoring of the house's current direction. - Getty Images.
Chase Sui Wonders debuted dramatic baby bangs alongside a sleek black Giorgio Armani floor-length gown, the embellished bow detail at the halter neckline adding a sculptural flourish to the minimalist silhouette. - Getty Images.
Giorgio Armani global ambassador Jonathan Bailey brought modern edge to black-tie dressing in a double-breasted Armani tuxedo jacket with fringe trim waistband detail, styled with dark sunglasses and patent leather oxfords. - Getty Images.
Jack O'Connell — starring as lead character Larry Lamb in Danny Boyle's Ink — made a theatrical entrance in a floor-length grey Dior overcoat with satin lapels and a dramatic fringe-trimmed scarf draped over a classic white-shirt-and-bow-tie ensemble. - Getty Images.
Nina Dobrev stunned in a sequined Armani Privé strapless column gown that transitioned from black to ombre olive green, with an ethereal silk chiffon cape swept dramatically to the side. - Getty Images.
Singer-songwriter Jewel brought bold maximalism to the Lido in a crystal-embellished Genny gown featuring a leopard-print pattern, with a statement black ruffled bib neckline providing a dramatic contrast. - Getty Images.
Brittany Snow oozed old Hollywood glamour in a figure-hugging black velvet Giorgio Armani gown, the plunging neckline trimmed in sparkling crystal embellishment that caught every flash on the red carpet. - Getty Images.
Zazie Beetz floated onto the red carpet in an ethereal strapless Giorgio Armani gown in blush ivory, its delicate floral embroidery and sweeping A-line skirt lending a romantic, luminous quality to her look. - Getty Images.
Alessandra Ambrosio brought supermodel authority to the Lido in a form-fitting Intimissimi black gown featuring a structured bustier bodice and ruched jersey skirt, accessorised with a brilliant diamond necklace and bracelet. - Getty Images.
Tatiana Korsakova commanded attention in a striking Stéphane Rolland two-piece: a sculptural white one-shoulder crop top with an oversized bow and a sleek black skirt with a dramatic train, tied together with a crystal choker and waist belt. - Getty Images.
Stella Maxwell was an arresting vision in a sheer black lace Intimissimi column gown with long sleeves and a sweeping satin cape train, the delicate lace-over-black underlining creating a beautifully layered effect. - Getty Images.
Italian supermodel Bianca Balti was widely hailed as the standout of opening night in a custom pale pink Ilya Migmoon haute couture creation — a structured strapless bustier gown with draped skirt and a breathtaking pair of feathered wings inspired by Venice's iconic winged Lion of Saint Mark. - Getty Images.
Formula 1 champion Carlos Sainz wore a Giorgio Armani Made to Measure ivory dinner jacket, while his partner Rebecca Donaldson shimmered in a strapless silver fringed Giorgio Armani gown, the couple making a dazzling duo at the festival's opening ceremony. - Getty Images.
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Amal Clooney was the picture of sleek glamour in a ruched black Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann spaghetti-strap gown, arriving hand-in-arm with George Clooney, who was dapper in a classic black tuxedo. - Getty Images.

If there was a single throughline to Venice 2026's opening red carpet, it was a masterclass in drama delivered through restraint. Maggie Gyllenhaal set the tone as jury president in a precisely draped Celine gown, while Claire Foy's Bottega Veneta all-red column and Bianca Balti's custom pale pink Ilya Migmoon haute couture gown — complete with feathered angel wings, an homage, her stylist explained, to Venice's winged Lion of Saint Mark — each brought their own spectacle to the carpet. Jonathan Bailey and Jack O'Connell showed that the men's red carpet is no longer an afterthought, both turning in some of the most fashion-forward suiting moments of the night.

But the undisputed look of the night belonged to Amal Clooney. Her Tom Ford ruched black anchored the evening in exactly the kind of controlled glamour that outshone every other spectacle on the carpet, proving that a perfectly realised silhouette will always say more than feathers or theatrics — a fitting close to the 83rd edition of the world's oldest film festival's unforgettable opening night.