Penelope Cruz Revels in Romanticism in Chanel Dress With Coquette Bow and Camellia Alongside Javier Bardem at San Sebastian Film Festival

Penélope Cruz is the latest celebrity to put her stamp on the bow trend. The actress made a sophisticated case for bows while at the opening ceremony of the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival on Friday in Spain. 

Cruz arrived at the red carpet in a glamorous bow-topped gown by Chanel, consisting of form-fitted lace with a drop-waist and mermaid train. Unlike many of the free-flowing bows that have been filling the runways and red carpets, Cruz put forth a slightly more structured take with a camellia flower at the center. She was joined by her husband, Javier Bardem.

Cruz has favored Chanel all year, as the actress most recently wore a custom creation by the fashion house for the 2024 Met Gala. Cruz also opted to wear lace to that event, walking the red carpet in a voluminous gown made from tiered lace that extended out into a lengthy train. (Cruz also wore Chanel to the 2023 Met Gala, paying homage to the fashion house’s late designer Karl Lagerfeld with a veiled bridal gown. “My dear Karl, I hope you are feeling the love. I know you are,” Cruz wrote on Instagram at the time.)

Last March, Cruz wore Chanel while attending the brand’s fall 2024 presentation. For the occasion, Cruz wore a feminine take on a leather power suit. The actress paired a leather skirt suit from the label’s 2024 Métiers d’Art collection with a frilly collar-topped pastel yellow knit. 

A month earlier, in February, Cruz wore another tailored Chanel look for a red carpet event: a mod houndstooth dress with pops of pink lining and a matching cloche. Cruz accessorized the look she wore to a “Ferrari” photocall with hoop earrings and a black quilted handbag. 

Cruz has long favored Chanel on the red carpet — see: her 2008 press tour behind “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” — and has officially served as an ambassador for Chanel since 2018. “It’s such an iconic brand and Karl is a genius, and I’ve been admiring everything he’s done since I was a little girl, so it’s such a pleasure working with him,” Cruz told WWD at the time, of then-design head Lagerfeld. “He’s like the king of fashion and we had a really, really interesting photo shoot, so to be in front of his camera is an adventure.”