Photo Credits: Irina Tascheva
When May unfolds over the French Riviera, Cannes becomes more than a location—it becomes a vision. The 2025 edition of the Festival de Cannes, held from May 13 to 24, brought not only cinematic brilliance but a luminous celebration of fashion, poise, and the cultivated art of presence. While the red carpet captured the world’s attention, true elegance often began far from the camera’s reach—within the hushed, opulent walls of the Hotel Martinez.
It was there, behind private doors and golden drapery, that a more intimate narrative played out. The preparation, the stillness, the final touch of gloss, a whispered nod before descent—these moments, often hidden from view, were revealed with rare sensitivity through the lens of photographer Irina Tascheva. With an eye attuned to silence and light, her portraits speak not of spectacle, but of transformation. Her work from Cannes this year distills the soul of the festival—not in its public grandeur, but in the private ritual of becoming.
Photo Credits: Irina Tascheva
Among those who defined the spirit of this year’s fashion tableau was Heidi Klum, who appeared in a resplendent creation by Elie Saab. The partnership between muse and designer felt inevitable—Klum, with her commanding elegance, and Saab, with his unrelenting devotion to couture. Her presence in the Martinez was more than expected—it was essential. She did not simply wear a gown; she embodied its intention.
Photo Credits: Irina Tascheva
Maria Borges brought her unmistakable grace to the Riviera, dressed in the refined vision of Zuhair Murad. Hers was not a performance, but a quiet assertion of power. In her every movement was a sense of reverence—not only for the craftsmanship she wore, but for the tradition she honored. She drifted through the Martinez like a secret kept in silk, unhurried and sovereign.
Photo Credits: Irina Tascheva
Among those who defined the spirit of this year’s fashion tableau was Heidi Klum, who appeared in a resplendent creation by Elie Saab. The partnership between muse and designer felt inevitable—Klum, with her commanding elegance, and Saab, with his unrelenting devotion to couture. Her presence in the Martinez was more than expected—it was essential. She did not simply wear a gown; she embodied its intention.
Photo Credits: Irina Tascheva
Jenny Gordienko, wrapped in the precision and dreamwork of JoliPoli Couture, brought a different kind of magnetism—fresh, enigmatic, and untouched by excess. There was a clarity to her presence, a kind of unspoken elegance that didn’t need to be explained.
Each of these muses, in dialogue with their chosen designers, reminded us that fashion in Cannes is not trend—it is declaration. They stood not just as guests of the festival, but as curators of its legacy, each gown a message, each entrance a punctuation. The Martinez, always more than a hotel, once again served as a sacred ground where glamour wasn’t made—it was awakened. There, robes fell to the floor like petals, trains trailed behind like memory, and every glance in the mirror echoed with the weight of becoming.
Photo Credits: Irina Tascheva
This was Cannes 2025—not only a summit of cinema, but a manifesto of fashion. What the world saw on the red carpet was merely the final note. The true symphony began in the quiet corners of the Martinez, where designers met muses, and beauty took its first breath.
Photo Credits: Irina Tascheva
Photo Credits: Irina Tascheva
Photo Credits: Irina Tascheva
