Maria Bakalova of Women Do Cry Talks Her Futuristic Louis Vuitton Look at Cannes

The Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova has had quite the introduction to the red carpet. Her first trip down the megawatt cinema mat was back when she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her comical role in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm earlier in 2021. Her next cameos were this past week, when Bakalova attended the Cannes Film Festival wearing two Louis Vuitton looks to the premiere of the buzzy film Titane, a French-Belgian horror directed by Julia Ducournau, and to the photocall for Women Do Cry. While her work with Borat’s Sacha Baron Cohen veered more on the hilarious side, her role in Women Do Cry is an emotional one. Bakalova plays a Bulgarian woman named Sonja, who is HIV+ and has to deal with the often cruel treatment that comes with the status in the patriarchal, post-Soviet culture.

It’s a significant performance that deserved an equally memorable red carpet moment; to Titane, Bakalova wore a sparkling retro-style Louis Vuitton set from the fall 2021 collection. (She later wore the look to the Louis Vuitton Cannes dinner.) The striking ensemble was masterminded by stylist Jessica Paster, while her glam was done by hairstylist Byron Williams and makeup artist Valeria Ferreria—Bakalova describes them as her “super team.” Overall, it has been a thrilling experience for her. “Your firsts are always something memorable and amazing,” says Bakalova about her two major red carpet appearances. Her second Louis Vuitton look? To the photocall of Women Do Cry, she donned a green dress with biker shorts by Louis Vuitton with a pair of kicky graphic boots from the resort 2022 collection.

According to Bakalova, she loves fittings as it’s the first time she sees what she is going to wear. Her favorite part about her look this year? It stands out of the typical gown pack seen at Cannes. “Everyone knows that I love a beautiful gown and glamour, and that’s what I wanted for the award shows but for Cannes, I wanted everybody to see a different side of my style. I wanted to go fresh and a bit edgy,” she says. “What I loved was the casualness and the coolness that Louis Vuitton always has. Especially the green one that gives you that futuristic Jetson look!”

Originally Appeared on Vogue