‘I was sort of scared about it’: Bella Hadid reveals her fears about wearing THAT red dress in Cannes - and how she pulled it off thanks to a hidden leotard 

  • Bella, 19, wore an Alexandre Vauthier gown at the Unknown Girl premiere
  • Turned heads thanks to its plunging neckline and thigh-high split 
  • Normally-vampy Bella admits it was a 'big' departure from her usual style
  • But she brushed aside any suggestions that she'd gone commando 

By Unity Blott For Mailonline

Published: 14:03 EST, 6 June 2016 | Updated: 17:37 EST, 6 June 2016

It was one of the most-talked about red carpet looks in Cannes this year.

And now Bella Hadid has opened up about her bold outfit choice, revealing that the show-stopping dress she wore for the Unknown Girl premiere was a 'big risk' - but one she believes paid off.

The model, who is younger sister to Gigi, usually opts for dark clothes and vampy make-up, but she turned heads last month in a daring red Alexandre Gauthier couture gown, creating a look that commentators likened to Jessica Rabbit.

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Show-stopper: Bella turned heads last month at the Unknown Girl premiere in Cannes. She wore a daring red Alexandre Gauthier couture gown, creating a look that commentators likened to Jessica Rabbit

Show-stopper: Bella turned heads last month at the Unknown Girl premiere in Cannes. She wore a daring red Alexandre Gauthier couture gown, creating a look that commentators likened to Jessica Rabbit

Stop traffic in Bella's slinky red Alexandre Vauthier dress

Alexandre Vauthier spring 2016 couture

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She's taken the crown at Cannes over the last couple of days, and Bella Hadid is once again making waves on the red carpet this evening at 'The Unknown Girl' premiere.

Showing off her enviable figure in a daring slinky red dress with plunging neckline and thigh high split, Bella was leaving little too the imagination in this number. Red is always a definite show stopper but add in both cleavage and leg and you've got a seriously sexy look. We're not sure if anyone else is going to top this one tonight! Bella's dress is by Alexandre Vauthier, a brand she's favored on the red carpet before and part of the brand's SS16 couture collection.

If you want to make an entrance at your next party or event, a slinky red dress could be the way to go. To steal Bella's style, shop our edit of red maxi's below. Bec & Bridge have a great option which has both the side split and the plunge neckline so bag that one at Asos. Otherwise got short at Boohoo, or lacy at Forever 21.

You won't need much in the way of accessories with a dress like this so take tips from Bella and opt for a sleek up-do and simple black strappy sandals.

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With its plunging neckline and thigh-high split, it marked a dramatic departure from her usual look - in a decision which Bella has now admitted was 'a bit scary'.

'I'm usually very simple with my red carpet looks - I tend to just wear black - so this was a big risk,' she told Glamour magazine. 'I was sort of scared about it, but I've had so much nice feedback which was exciting.'

Calling the gown the 'riskiest thing' she'll wear in a while, Bella, who is dating musician The Weeknd, added that she would probably 'tone down' her next few outfits. 

And when asked how she navigated the tricky problem of underwear - commentators speculated that she might have gone commando - Bella revealed that she was actually wearing an extremely high-waisted leotard. 

'It was a big risk': With its plunging neckline and thigh-high split, Bella's gown marked a dramatic departure from her usual look
It was a decision which the model has now admitted was 'a bit scary'

'It was a big risk': With its plunging neckline and thigh-high split, Bella's gown marked a dramatic departure from her usual look - in a decision which the model has now admitted was 'a bit scary'

'I didn't have a problem with it at all, it held itself together,' said the star, who looked as if she was mere millimetres away from a serious wardrobe malfunction. 

'If there was a little wind that would have been a problem but there wasn't. It all worked out!'

Speaking to Vanity Fair after the event, Bella's stylist Elizabeth Sulcer revealed that she and Bella had worked together with designer Alexandre Vauthier to create something 'beautiful and iconic', saying: 'Every aspect of the dress was planned.'

'I tend to just wear black': Bella (pictured at another Cannes event) admitted she prefers wearing dark colours

'I tend to just wear black': Bella (pictured at another Cannes event) admitted she prefers wearing dark colours

Calling the gown the 'riskiest thing' she'll wear in a while, Bella, who is dating musician The Weeknd, added that she would probably 'tone down' her next few outfits (pictured at the Cannes De Grisogono Party, May 2016)

Calling the gown the 'riskiest thing' she'll wear in a while, Bella, who is dating musician The Weeknd, added that she would probably 'tone down' her next few outfits (pictured at the Cannes De Grisogono Party, May 2016)

Asked what was going on underneath the dress and if she had any tips for wearing a similar wisp of silk, she replied: 'The dress has a built-in silk bodysuit. Top-stick tape is always a good idea. Practice makes perfect.' 

She added: 'Bella is smart and confident, and we knew she could wear that dress.' She revealed that the pair had spent a lot of time working on Bella's red carpet looks for the film festival and they are 'very focused and organised'.

And unsurprisingly, she declared they were both happy the dress is having a 'lasting impact'. 

When asked how she navigated the tricky problem of underwear - commentators speculated that she might have gone commando - Bella revealed that she was actually wearing an extremely high-waisted leotard

When asked how she navigated the tricky problem of underwear - commentators speculated that she might have gone commando - Bella revealed that she was actually wearing an extremely high-waisted leotard

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