The Anti-Cannes: How Sundance Became Fashion’s Most Interesting Film Festival

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For over 40 years, the Sundance Film Festival has been held in Park City, Utah, nestled in the mountains during the coldest time of year. What makes Sundance unique compared to other film festivals is its challenging weather and remote location. These two factors heavily influence what attendees wear, as they must consider both the event they’re attending and the frigid temperatures they’ll face.

Sundance’s chilly weather creates a very practical style scene. Unlike Cannes, where glamorous gowns and tuxedos are the norm, Sundance calls for warm parkas, down jackets, and fur coats. This makes for surprisingly interesting fashion choices amidst all the red carpets and premieres. Sundance’s director, Eugene Hernandez, explained that the unpredictable weather is a key part of the festival’s unique style – you can plan an outfit, but the weather often has other ideas, leading to some fun and unexpected looks.

For 40 years, the Sundance Film Festival in Park City has been known for its memorable style. This year, I spoke to festival attendees who were remembering the fashion of the early 2000s, the Y2K era. Deja Williams, a publicist for film industry professionals, explained that this period perfectly embodies the spirit of Sundance and influences her own festival wardrobe. She pointed to iconic looks like Bob Dylan at the premiere of Masked and Anonymous in 2003, Lucy Liu at the Lucky Number Slevin premiere in 2006, and Chloë Sevigny and Penelope Cruz. According to Williams, that decade defined festival fashion and created some of the most enduring looks in Sundance history.

Sundance style is strongly linked to its founder, Robert Redford, who was a fashion icon. This year’s festival was particularly poignant as it was the first since Redford’s passing and the last to be held in Utah. Before each film, a tribute honored his commitment to independent cinema, and one image really stood out to juror and director Janicza Bravo: Redford wearing a full denim outfit. She described the look as effortlessly cool and perfectly fitted. This sparked a conversation about whether Olivia Wilde and Chris Pine were subtly referencing this iconic style at the festival. Pine was seen wearing a denim shirt tucked into matching jeans with a Western belt, and Wilde sported a similar look, complete with thin-framed glasses strikingly similar to a pair Redford famously wore. Wilde even shared a photo of Redford in her festival photos, seemingly confirming the connection.

Sundance Film Festival continued its tradition of standout outerwear this year. After finally experiencing the festival firsthand, I noticed a difference between what’s shown online and how people actually dressed. Seeing the real style of festival attendees and staff was particularly interesting.

Now that the Sundance Film Festival is moving from Park City, Utah to Boulder, Colorado in 2027, it’s likely the festival’s unique look and feel will carry over to its new location. Here’s a look at some of the most memorable style choices I spotted both online and in person during what was the final Sundance in Utah.

Image via @sasykmihal on Instagram

Charli xcx’s The Moment

Charli XCX made a big impact at Sundance this year with her film, The Moment. Everywhere you looked, people were talking about it, and she had three movies premiere one after another. A24 created special neon puffer jackets with a playful twist – they used logos inspired by brands like Marlboro and McDonald’s, but changed to say The Moment. These jackets were designed for Charli with help from her team just before the festival. The choice of a puffer jacket really highlights how much this festival values comfortable, practical clothing. You also saw a lot of bright green beanies and scarves around town promoting The Moment, fitting right in with the Sundance vibe.

Festival volunteers in the Kenneth Cole special issued jacket

Kenneth Cole’s Festival-Issued Jackets

While you might expect to see brands like Arc’teryx, The North Face, or Patagonia dominating the winter scene at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, it’s actually Kenneth Cole that’s everywhere. The designer has been involved with the Sundance Institute as a board member since 2003 and is a strong supporter of Robert Redford’s vision and the festival’s many volunteers. Since 2004, Kenneth Cole has provided over 2,500 custom jackets each year for the volunteers who work outdoors in the cold. Each jacket has a unique design and color, but always includes the Sundance logo and year on the chest, and the Kenneth Cole logo on the back.

Eugene Hernandez shared that Kenneth Cole personally takes a strong interest in designing the festival jackets each year – they’re impossible to miss! You see people wearing the bright yellow-to-grey ombre jackets everywhere at Sundance. I especially loved seeing how the volunteers made the jackets their own, whether by adding pins or getting Mr. Cole to sign them. This year’s jackets were particularly meaningful, featuring a special badge honoring Robert Redford.

Gregg Araki by Chase Sui Wonders, image via Instagram

Performative Performance Gear

Okay, it sounds silly, but growing up in Southern California, I really didn’t get winter jackets. I mean, I just spent a few paragraphs saying you need one when it’s cold, because it’s obvious! But seriously, as a San Fernando Valley native, all this high-tech, super-warm stuff is totally new to me. We’re the land of light jackets! So being in Park City, where it gets seriously cold – like, near zero degrees – I couldn’t help but notice everyone’s gear. You hear the ‘swish’ of GORE-TEX everywhere! What really caught my eye, though, was how people were mixing these super functional, cold-weather clothes with their everyday styles – it was a cool combination.

Rafael Manuel, who won a special jury award at the World Cinema Dramatic competition for his film Filipiñana, accepted the award wearing a bright red Lululemon zip-up under an olive corduroy shirt. He explained that coming from a warm climate, staying comfortable in the cold was his top priority. He doesn’t often get to layer clothing where he’s from, so he was enjoying the chance to do so at the festival. I could definitely relate – it seemed to reflect the experience of many people at Sundance. The festival draws attendees from around the globe, but a lot of those in the industry come from Los Angeles and don’t often get to fully utilize their outdoor gear, like Arc’teryx Beta jackets.

Noé Margarito Zaragoza, Rebecca Zweig and Efraín Mojica attend the “Jaripeo” Premiere Image via Saria Harris on Instagram

Mountain Chic

One Sundance fashion trend I really dislike is what director Sean Wang calls “mountain chic.” It’s basically trying to look like a cowboy dressed for cold weather – think bolo ties, jeans, big cowboy hats, and boots. While it could be done well, I mostly saw poorly executed versions, especially with the current trend of uncomfortable, ill-fitting clothes and cheap fashion. (Although, looking again, the Jaripeo team pictured above actually pulls it off!) I’m referring to the many attempts at this style I saw around town. This look definitely sets Sundance apart from film festivals like Cannes or Venice, where you’re much more likely to see at least one person in a cowboy-inspired outfit within any group of friends.

The Fits of @DirectorFits

For the Sundance Film Festival, I aimed for simple and comfortable outfits. I love fashion, but I don’t enjoy the daily stress of choosing what to wear – I’m always rushing! I’ve noticed filmmakers often stick to a consistent style, and I’ve tried to do the same. Every day in Park City, I wore a variation of black Ben Davis work pants, black Mephisto sneakers, a light blue cropped hoodie from LA Apparel over a white t-shirt, a black Barbour jacket, and a bright orange tote bag. It wasn’t a complicated look, but it always looked good and felt classic. Goodbye, Park City, and hello to Boulder!

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2026-02-14 14:31