The 2025 Cannes Film Festival has delivered plenty of standout fashion moments, from Rihanna’s pregnancy-revealing Alaïa dress to Amal Clooney’s vintage Dior gown. But after a last-minute dress code banned nudity (along with voluminous silhouettes and long trains), the red carpet lost some of its usual edge—until Alexander Skarsgård stepped in.

The Swedish actor has been anything but subtle with his Cannes looks this year. Skarsgård is channeling the spirit of his film Pillion, where he plays a biker in a BDSM relationship with a timid young man (Harry Melling). At the photocall, he leaned into the movie’s theme, wearing a white crewneck tee from London store Jerks featuring an image of a leather boot poised over a man’s face. Styled by Harry Lambert, he paired the vintage-inspired shirt with leather Loewe pants and black biker boots—mirroring the ones on his shirt.

But Skarsgård didn’t stop there. At The Phoenician Scheme premiere, he took things further in a double-breasted Saint Laurent suit—complete with thigh-high leather boots. The bold footwear choice quickly sparked reactions online, with one X user quoting Joyce Carol Oates: “Cannot a man or a boy ‘mother’?”

Even beyond his leather-heavy looks, Skarsgård knows how to make a statement. For Eagles of the Republic, he wore a gray Magliano pinstripe blazer and a pale pink bowtie with shimmering blue sequin trousers by Bianca Saunders.

This isn’t the first time he’s brought kink to the red carpet. While promoting Infinity Pool, he accessorized with a black leather leash—even letting co-star Mia Goth “walk” him. And back in 2016, he famously skipped pants at the MTV Movie Awards, strutting in just white briefs. But at Cannes 2025, Alexander Skarsgård has taken his love of daring fashion to new heights.