Bella Hadid at Cannes 2021 : the Schiaparelli collier poumons that stopped the room
One image lit up Cannes in July 2021 : Bella Hadid stepping onto the 74th Festival red carpet in a black column dress cut to the sternum, framed by a sculptural gold necklace shaped like human lungs. Cameras fell silent for a second. Then the picture went everywhere. Searches for “collier poumons Schiaparelli” spiked because the piece looked fearless and strangely intimate on one of fashion’s most watched faces.
The necklace came from Schiaparelli Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2021, created by creative director Daniel Roseberry and described as a trompe l’oeil bronchi in gilded brass with stones catching the light. Hadid wore it to the premiere of “Tre Piani” on 11 July 2021, during a festival that ran from 6 to 17 July 2021, according to the Festival de Cannes program. Vogue reported on the look in real time that evening, underscoring how the anatomical motif echoed the house’s surrealist roots.
Design and symbolism : Daniel Roseberry’s Schiaparelli anatomy
The main idea sits in the metal itself : Roseberry recentered the human body as ornament, not by covering it, but by mirroring its anatomy. The collier poumons outlines the bronchi like branches, turning breath into sculpture. That choice makes sense for Schiaparelli, a maison founded in 1927 by Elsa Schiaparelli, whose collaborations with Salvador Dalí in the 1930s turned everyday body parts into witty couture, documented by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
There is also timing. Roseberry took the helm in 2019, as confirmed by Schiaparelli’s announcements, and pushed couture toward bold, almost talismanic objects. The lung necklace arrived in the first summer after lockdowns in many countries. People saw different things in it : a celebration of breath, a surreal wink to the body, a striking return to maximal red carpet fashion. The piece worked because the dress was pared back, letting the jewelry carry narrative without feeling like a costume.
Why it went viral : dates, sources and a quick reality check
Facts matter for an image this loud. The look belonged to the 74th Festival de Cannes in July 2021. It was part of Schiaparelli Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2021, presented during Paris Haute Couture Week that same month, covered extensively by Vogue Runway. Materials listed by the house at the time included gilded brass shaped into bronchi with stones placed along the branches. Nothing random there : Schiaparelli’s archives have long featured body inspired motifs, from eyes to hands, logged by The Met and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
Another point : the shock factor did not rely on nudity. The dress was long sleeved, the silhouette simple, the neckline clean. The necklace overlayed the chest like a protective exoskeleton. Red carpet images circulated at speed because the composition read instantly on phone screens. That is the secret most viral fashion shares now : a single strong outline, identifiable from meters away, supported by clear credits and immediate media pickup.
How to read and style the trend without the hype
Plenty of readers want a practical angle : how does one translate such a runway moment into everyday life without turning heads for the wrong reasons. The answer lives in scale, context, and intention. Keep the clothes calm and let the piece tell the story. Choose clean necklines to frame statement anatomy inspired jewellry. Think contrast : severe fabric, luminous metal.
Quick facts for clarity :
- Designer : Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli, appointed in 2019
- Event : 74th Festival de Cannes, 6 to 17 July 2021
- Appearance : Bella Hadid wore it on 11 July 2021 for “Tre Piani”
- Collection : Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2021, shown in July 2021
- Materials : gilded brass with stones, shaped like bronchi
- Heritage : Elsa Schiaparelli founded the house in 1927, known for surrealist body motifs
- Sources : Vogue Runway coverage, Festival de Cannes schedule, The Met archives
Why this matters now : the collier poumons set a template for modern couture statements that read both artistic and emotionally legible. It also revived a conversation about how jewelry can act as clothing in itself. The missing piece many overlook is proportion. Bella Hadid’s team balanced the necklace with a quiet dress, minimal makeup, and a sleek bun, which shifted focus upward and kept the image bright on every screen. That balance is what turns a daring object into a cultural reference that keeps being searched, saved, and remembered.