Naomi Watts gave the Festival de Cine de San Sebastián one of its clearest images in a Dior look that stood out on the red carpet. Black and white dominated the weekend’s most visible outfits, including Penélope Cruz’s return to Chanel in a voluminous dress with feather detail across the chest. Brad Pitt’s arrival and the presentation of ‘La bola negra’ as Spain’s representative at the Premios Oscar added to a weekend when cinema and fashion shared the spotlight.
The basic visual thread was clear: black and white dominated the festival’s most visible outfits. The actresses kept the looks from feeling predictable with varied shapes and textures, often adding an unexpected reference.
Watts made the most of the occasion with two standout appearances. Her Dior ensemble ranked among the festival’s most memorable red-carpet moments. It carried added significance because she received the Premio Donostia that weekend. The award came during a separate gala ceremony on 19 September, where J.A. Bayona presented it to her in the Kursaal Auditorium. The award gave her red-carpet appearance added weight. Watts dedicated the honour to David Lynch, lending her public presence a personal, cinematic edge.
Her recognition was already covered in an earlier report on the festival and her role there. This fashion review turns to the details that shaped the event’s public image, from the red carpet to the parties around it. The Donostia Award also carried particular weight in the 74th edition. Independent reports named Watts and Werner Herzog as the festival’s two recipients in 2026.
Penélope Cruz provided another clear highlight with her return to Chanel. Her dress had plenty of volume, and its feather detail created a theatrical silhouette. It still fit the black-and-white direction that defined the weekend. Cruz also appeared with the cast of ‘La bola negra’ after the film was named Spain’s representative at the Premios Oscar. Los Javis were among those present.
The Academia de Cine selected ‘La bola negra’ on 16 September 2026 as Spain’s entry for the 2027 Oscars in the International Feature Film category. The announcement brought together the film’s creators, Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, known as Los Javis, and representatives of the Academy.
The surrounding events added another layer to the festival’s style story. Blanca Suárez and Macarena Gómez drew attention at the Armani Beauty party, while Nieves Álvarez delivered one of the weekend’s strongest looks. Their appearances took the fashion conversation beyond the official carpet, showing how the festival’s image extends across different settings.
There was still room for originality within the dominant colour scheme. Vicky Luengo chose a two-piece outfit by Max Mara with an oriental influence. It offered a sharper alternative to the more traditional evening silhouettes seen elsewhere in San Sebastián.
That balance made the weekend’s wardrobe work. The palette stayed consistent, but the outfits did not look alike. Dior gave Watts a polished red-carpet statement, while Chanel gave Cruz volume and movement. Max Mara let Luengo take the theme in another direction. The strongest looks relied on restraint. Each woman gave the same black-and-white idea a different shape.
San Sebastián leaves behind more than a run of celebrity appearances. Naomi Watts received the major honour, while Penélope Cruz made the most recognisable fashion return. Vicky Luengo showed how originality can survive a strong trend. At the Armani Beauty party, Blanca Suárez and Macarena Gómez joined Nieves Álvarez in the weekend’s visual story. The red carpet felt tied to the substance of the event, not added as decoration. It was a particularly successful fashion chapter for the Festival de Cine de San Sebastián, with discipline and individuality side by side.
The weekend also had a wider industry story. The Academia de Cine confirmed the Oscar selection for ‘La bola negra’ on 16 September 2026. Reports from Europa Press and Infobae placed Ambrossi and Calvo at the announcement. Watts’s honorary award and the international selection for Spanish cinema gave the festival’s fashion spectacle a large news context.
