Watch Troye Sivan Prepare to Walk the Cannes Red Carpet—And Share the Posing Tips He Learned From Lily-Rose Depp

“It’s my first time in Cannes at all, let alone at the film festival,” says Troye Sivan, whom Vogue found in his room at the tony Carlton Cannes earlier this week. Yet the Australian singer-actor exudes perfect calm as he considers the volatility of curly hair (“whatever it’s gonna do is just what it’s gonna do”), the challenges of navigating the world’s most glamorous red carpet, and the best after-party look for dancing in ahead of the premiere of HBO’s The Idol.

“When I heard that I was being considered for this show,” recalls Sivan, who previously appeared in the 2018 film Boy Erased and 2022’s Three Months, “I was so excited but also just, like, completely intimated and nervous.” The instant bond that he formed with star Lily-Rose Depp helped to calm him down. “I got to the first rehearsal that I had with Lily, and I was like, Oh my God. How does this girl who grew up on the complete opposite end of the world to me remind me of my best friends from home?”

His fondness for the rest of The Idol’s cast—people like Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Rachel Sennott, and Jennie Ruby Jane—has also been a boon on the buzzing Croisette, where one can hardly walk a step without trodding on somebody’s ballgown. “I think if I had to walk the carpet by myself I would be petrified,” he says. “I kind of feel strength-in-numbers vibes.” Besides, in Depp he has the perfect inspiration for taking a killer photo: “When I take out my phone to take a picture [of her], she doesn’t, like stop and pose,” he observes. “She just sort of exists in a hot way, and lets me capture that.” 

After having his hair and dewy makeup looked after by Joe Kelly and Georgi Sandev, respectively, it’s time to get dressed. Sivan’s look for the premiere is custom Valentino: an off-the-shoulder top with slim, dark trousers, an appealingly boxy jacket, and kicky leather boots. The humbling outlier? “I feel shook that I’m wearing these insanely beautiful custom clothes and then my terrible old socks underneath,” Sivan wryly notes.