The 79th Cannes Film Festival opened on May 12, 2026, with the usual parade of designer gowns and diamond necklaces. But one arrival stopped the crowd. Dame Joan Collins, 92, stepped onto the red carpet outside the Palais des Festivals in a custom white gown that could have stepped straight out of a Dynasty episode from 1985. She was there to promote her upcoming biopic My Duchess, where she plays Wallis Simpson. But for anyone who grew up watching her rule prime time television as Alexis Carrington, the look was pure nostalgia. Her makeup artist Alyn Waterman created a look that blended modern technique with classic 1980s excess. This is a report on her return, the film that brought her back, and the beauty legacy she continues to shape.
The Dynasty Look That Defined a Decade
Joan Collins joined the cast of Dynasty in 1981 as the scheming first wife of oil tycoon Blake Carrington. She played Alexis Colby until 1989. The character became famous for her sharp tongue, padded shoulders, and even sharper makeup. Her look was the definition of 1980s power dressing. Crimson lips, heavily smoked eyes, spiky lashes, and perfectly arched brows were her weapons of choice. In one search result about 1980s beauty, a writer noted that Alexis had “scalpel-precise cupid’s bow lipstick” and that designers were putting her on mood boards. Another source described her look in 2011 as featuring “blood-red lips and matching nails”. Collins has said she learned makeup application from Allan “Whitey” Snyder, Marilyn Monroe’s personal artist. That classic training gave her the skill to create a look that never went out of date.
The Cannes Red Carpet: A Modern Spin on Vintage Glamour
For the opening night screening of La Vénus Électrique, Collins wore a custom Stéphane Rolland Haute Couture gown. The dress was a long white number with dramatic, oversized ruffles that framed her neckline like flower petals. She paired it with long black opera gloves, a diamond necklace, and chandelier earrings. Her hair was swept up in a dark, jet-black style that leaned into her role as Wallis Simpson, who famously favored sleek updos.
It was Waterman who handled the makeup. He gave Collins a satiny base and a glowy blush that softened the face. But the eyes were pure Alexis. Waterman applied purple smoked eyeshadow, dangerously long lashes, and a sharp feline flick with the liner. He finished the look with an immaculately arched brow and a glossy red lip. Posting a video of the look to Instagram, Waterman wrote that it was “a pleasure and honour” to prepare her.
My Duchess: The Passion Project That Brought Her Back
View this post on Instagram
Collins was not just at Cannes for the fashion. She was there to launch My Duchess, a biopic she has been trying to make for thirty years. The film tells the story of Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee for whom King Edward VIII gave up the British throne in 1936. It focuses on Simpson’s final years living in exile in France with her lawyer, Suzanne Blum. The director is Mike Newell, who made Four Weddings and a Funeral. The script comes from Louise Fennell. Isabella Rossellini co-stars as Blum.
Collins told Town & Country that Simpson was “always a passion project of mine”. She said she started thinking about the role decades ago when people told her there were no parts for older women. “You have to find your own subject,” she recalled. She also noted that she relates to Simpson’s complicated public image. “I’m always fascinated by women who everybody says are nasty people,” she told British Vogue. “And when you strip it all off, you find out that they’re not really”. She later added, “If I’d ever met Wallis, I could have commiserated with her about how the press treated me while I was playing Alexis”.
The Beauty Secrets: How She Stays Ageless
At 92, Collins continues to attract attention for her looks. In the week following Cannes, the Daily Mail ran a story on her youthful secrets. She told the paper that she eats an avocado every day, can still do the splits, and swears she has never used Botox. She has also credited her good skin to avoiding the sun on her face. A friend once warned her, “Don’t get the sun on your face, it’ll age you very fast”. Her skincare routine is famously simple. She wipes off her makeup with a Nivea cleanser before bed. She told Hello! magazine that she does not believe in needles and has never injected anything into her face.
The Legacy of Joan Collins’s Dynasty Glamour
The continued fascination with Collins’s look is not just about vanity. It shows that the beauty standards of the 1980s, specifically the Dynasty aesthetic, have never truly disappeared. One 2019 article in The Guardian noted that the style pioneered by the soap opera was back on designer mood boards. Designers were inspired by the one raised eyebrow, the sharp lip, and the big shoulder pads. Collins has outlasted every trend. She is still here, still working, and still proving that true glamour never goes out of fashion.
When and Where to See My Duchess
My Duchess is expected to be released in late 2026. It is currently being sold to distributors at the Cannes Film Festival market. A specific release date has not yet been announced.
Sources
-
Good Housekeeping UK. "Joan Collins, 92, revives iconic Dynasty look with 80s glam for Cannes." May 2026. -
Town & Country Magazine. "Joan Collins Says Her Wallis Simpson Biopic Is a 'Passion Project'." May 2026. -
RTE.ie. "Collins says villainous Dynasty character 'haunted' her." May 2026.
-
News Observer. "'Dynasty' Legend, 92, Channels Alexis Carrington at Cannes." May 2026. -
Town & Country Magazine. "Joan Collins, 92, Brings Movie Star Glamour to the Cannes Opening Ceremony." May 2026. -
Daily Mirror. "Joan Collins' secrets to her youthful looks at 92 revealed." May 2026. -
Daily Mail. "Poppy Delevingne and Caroline Daur lead the glamour as the 79th Cannes Film Festival kicks off with star-studded opening ceremony." May 2026.
