Penélope Cruz arrived in San Sebastián with two films and two sharply different looks. One of them, a Chanel design, carried a clear message about the fashion house's new direction.
Penélope Cruz arrived at the 74th edition of the San Sebastián Film Festival with two films and two very different looks. The Madrid-born actress presented The Invite and La Bola Negra, taking a prominent place at one of Spain's most closely watched film events. Her appearances moved from an ornate couture-style minidress to a major Chanel runway look.
The second appearance made the bigger fashion statement. Cruz wore Look 77 from Chanel's Cruise 2026/27 collection. It was the first Cruise proposal created by Matthieu Blazy as head of the maison. The design had a fitted bodice, a deep V-shaped neckline, large sleeves and a feather flower at the center of the décolletage.
The official San Sebastián Festival diary also lists Cruz in connection with Bunker, alongside The Invite and La Bola Negra, underlining the breadth of her presence in the 2026 programme.
Cruz is a Chanel ambassador, which made her a natural choice for one of the house's newest looks. Her appearance put the Spanish actress at the center of Chanel's public presentation in San Sebastián. Coverage from ELLE and other specialist fashion publications treated the moment as part of the house's shift into a new design era under Blazy, rather than as a celebrity simply wearing a runway dress.
That was the evening-gown statement. Her first premiere took a more detailed and unexpected path.
For The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde, Cruz chose a black minidress by Miss Sohee. The label was founded by South Korean designer Sohee Park, who is based in the United Kingdom. Park studied at Central Saint Martins and built her reputation in couture after working alongside Marc Jacobs and Molly Goddard.
Independent fashion reports identify the Miss Sohee dress as a Spring/Summer 2026 design. That detail distinguishes Cruz’s first San Sebastián appearance from her later Chanel look and places the premiere within the designer’s current couture-oriented work.
The dress paired a strapless corset with a short skirt covered in embroidery and shimmering applications. The top section suggested fish scales or a mermaid. The lower part carried dense floral patterns with an Oriental inspiration. A boat neckline framed the corset, while black silk draped down the sides and made the strapless shape look like a balcony.
Cruz added a matching jewel clutch and jewelry from Zoya, an Indian-origin brand whose pieces she had also worn at the Toronto festival. Black strappy sandals completed the look. They had an ankle strap and a substantial platform that strengthened the outfit's Oriental styling.
The difference between the two appearances was clear. Miss Sohee brought ornate detail and a short silhouette. Chanel offered formal scale and couture authority. Together, the looks matched Cruz's two roles at the festival as an actress and a fashion ambassador.
Her film schedule was just as substantial. In The Invite, Cruz shares the cast with Seth Rogen and Edward Norton under Wilde's direction. La Bola Negra was directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known as Los Javis. The film was selected to represent Spain in the race toward the Academy Awards.
The official festival diary placed these appearances within a wider 2026 programme that drew notable international attention to San Sebastián. Cruz was connected not only with The Invite and La Bola Negra, but also with Bunker.
That combination gave her San Sebastián visit its weight. She was not promoting a single release or appearing on one red carpet. She was presenting two anticipated projects while carrying a carefully chosen message from one of fashion's most influential houses.
The result was a strong festival portrait of Cruz. Her first look showed the craftsmanship associated with Miss Sohee. Her second showed Chanel's confidence in her visibility and status. San Sebastián became the meeting point between the international profile of Spanish cinema and the authority of French couture.
