Penélope Cruz Wore Black Chanel Taffeta Gown With Feather Detail to La Bola Negra Premiere in San Sebastián

Penélope Cruz's second night at the San Sebastián Film Festival was a big change from her first. After a short, jeweled minidress on Saturday, the Oscar-winning Spanish actress, known for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Volver and her long partnership with Pedro Almodóvar, showed up on September 20 in a huge black Chanel gown. She was there for the premiere of La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who are known as Los Javis.

The custom Chanel gown is made of black silk taffeta, with a deep V neckline framed by a ruffled collar that falls over the shoulders like a short cape. A small bouquet of black feathers sat at the center of the bust like a brooch. The bodice was fitted, but the skirt was the star. It flared out from the waist in wide panels, folds and layers with a sculptural feel, and it had side pockets, which Cruz used on the carpet. Spanish outlets report the design matches Look 77 from Chanel's Cruise 2026/27 collection, the first Cruise show from creative director Matthieu Blazy, presented in Biarritz.

Cruz has been a Chanel ambassador for years, so this felt like a return to home base. Her shoes stayed hidden under the skirt, and her only visible jewelry was a pair of sparkling earrings, with no brand credit yet. Her honey-highlighted bob was smooth and straight with a side part, and her makeup was warm and defined, with a bronzed smoky eye and a soft nude-pink lip.

La Bola Negra is inspired by an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca and features Glenn Close alongside Cruz. It first premiered at Cannes in May and screened in the Perlak section in San Sebastián. Cruz was also at the festival for The Invite, Olivia Wilde's comedy-drama, the night before.