Emma Watson Is a Vision in Plaid as She Attends First Cannes Film Festival in 12 Years

Emma Watson hasn't descended upon the Cannes Film Festival red carpet just yet, but her kickoff appearances are already proving to be super stylish.

On May 21, the Harry Potter star, 35, was seen arriving at the Palais des Festival dressed in a decidedly spring-forward look with a subtle Western twist.

In photos taken of the star, she could be seen wearing a sleeveless plaid dress with an apron-like silhouette. She paired the breezy piece with colorblock tan suede boots and accessorized with a gold-chain purse and tortoise-shell Ray-Ban sunglasses.

The previous day, Watson was photographed arriving at the Nice airport dressed in a black cardigan, ankle-length floral lace skirt and and ballet flats from Aeyde, according to Vogue.

Watson's recent appearances in France marks the first time she's been spotted at the star-studded event since 2013. During that time, she walked multiple red carpets in looks by Louis Vuitton and Chanel as she promoted the Sofia Coppola film, The Bling Ring.

In a December 2023 interview with British Vogue, the actress, who turned 35 on April 15, said she felt "so glad" to have taken a step back from acting "because I have this feeling of having my own voice and creative space and sovereignty in some way that I don’t think I did before — more autonomy."

"I’m so glad that I allowed things to be messy for a minute and to really allow myself to not know [what’s next], because the knowing that I’ve come to, I wouldn’t trade that for anything," she added at the time.

Although most known for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise opposite Danielle Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, Watson also starred in Perks of Being a Wallflower and Disney's billion-dollar Beauty and the Beast. She hasn't acted since portraying Meg March in Greta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation of Little Women. In 2022, she made her directorial debut with the Prada Paradoxe campaign.

Outside of film, Watson went on to complete her Ivy League English literature degree from Brown University in 2014 and went back to her studies at Oxford University. She launched her own gin brand called Renais with her brother Alex in 2023.

Watson's most recent rare public appearance came Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, when she attended the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in Oakland, Calif. A source told PEOPLE she was "very low-key" during the night out and seemed "excited to be there."