After a ban at the Oscars, is nudity back on the red carpet?

Red carpets have always been that platform where celebrities, designers, and stylists collectively redefine the limits of glamour and self-expression. And for much of the last decade, that stage was dominated by the “naked dress,” with its strategic sheerness and body-celebrating silhouettes. But then came a recalibration. Conversations around taste, censorship, and red-carpet decorum saw some of the world’s most-watched events explicitly banning nudity on the red carpet. The 2025 Cannes Film Festival went as far as prohibiting overly revealing attire, a move that sparked heated debate in fashion circles. But fashion never stays in one place for too long—and this year, naked dressing has returned, fiercer and more experimental than ever. The see-through, barely-there, skin-baring aesthetic is once again dominating step-and-repeat moments across continents, making a powerful statement that goes beyond shock value.

The long legacy of naked dressing

The naked dress is hardly a 2025 invention. Long before Instagram and TikTok, Cher was breaking boundaries in her now-iconic Bob Mackie gowns, and the 1974 Met Gala and 1988 Oscars looks remain pop culture touchpoints. Since then, everyone from Kate Moss to Rihanna has kept the sheer, risqué, “nearly nude” aesthetic alive. But in the past few seasons, the trend seemed to have taken a backseat. That is, until now.

Earlier this year, Tyla turned heads at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event in Los Angeles in a black webbed Jean Paul Gaultier dress with an elongated train that was equal parts sultry and sculptural. Julia Fox, never one to shy away from the extreme, showed up at the Vanity Fair 2025 Oscars Party in a naked Dilara Findikoglu creation that had the internet buzzing for days. Zoë Kravitz kept things quietly risqué with a sleek black satin gown featuring a daring mesh cut-out that ran down the back, understated but no less impactful.

 

From bans to bold statements

The Cannes ban in 2025 made many wonder if celebrity fashion was going to move away from shock factor entirely. But if the looks we have seen in the past two years are any indication, the pendulum is swinging right back. Bella Hadid’s taupe Saint Laurent dress from Cannes 2024 — unlined, semi-sheer, and dripping with drama — marked her return to the red carpet and reignited conversation around nudity in high fashion. Kanye West’s girlfriend, Bianca Censori, took the conversation to new heights when she arrived at the 2025 Grammy Awards in a completely sheer, full-body nude dress worn with no undergarments. The look sparked intense debate over whether it was an act of high-fashion performance art or simply too risqué for the occasion. While Censori and West quietly left the ceremony early — not because they were asked to — she later changed into a black thong bodysuit for the after-party, doubling down on the evening’s audacious energy.

And then came Gabby Windey, who made perhaps the cheekiest nod of the year to Rose McGowan’s infamous 1998 MTV VMAs chain dress. Her look was playful yet provocative, a wink to fashion history while firmly planting naked dressing in the present moment. Windey’s choice set the tone for 2025’s approach to nudity on the red carpet—confident, self-aware, and fun rather than scandalous.

Naked dressing goes beyond provocation; it is about control, autonomy, and the artistry of fashion itself. As we move further into 2025, the red carpet feels more alive, more liberated, and more daring than ever. Whether it is sheer mesh gowns, body-skimming webbed dresses, or unexpected cut-outs, nudity on the red carpet is reclaiming its place as a powerful expression of identity and confidence. One thing is clear: the naked dress is back, and everyone is stopping to stare! 

Lead image: IMDb 

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