Sheer audacity

Why the naked dress remains a fashion movement that leaves nothing to the imagination—except, perhaps, the dress itself.

- By SIMONE DHONDY

Somewhere between “Is she wearing that?” and “Oh my God, she’s wearing that?” lives the naked dress. That shimmering, strategic illusion that has turned the red carpet into a dermatological showcase.

This attempt to rebrand the oldest state of existence makes an appearance every few fashion cycles. You would think with all its milestone moments—like when Cher turned this sparkly game of déjà vu into a sport through the ’70s or Kate Moss unwittingly turned gauze into a statement of nonchalance in 1993—we'd be tired of the discussion past the point of Rihanna’s Swarovski exorcism of fabric in 2014.

Yet here we are, over a decade later, still mystified in the comments section. In 2025, the red carpet has come to expect—no, demand—at least one naked dress, thanks to laser-cutting techniques on fabric, Ozempic and the unshakeable confidence of women who exfoliate twice a day.

Like every great piece of performance art, the naked dress evolved—or rather, dissolved—into a fine craft. It’s the sartorial equivalent of a rumour. Mystery, after all, thrives on the suggestion of what lies beneath, not what's on display. The naked dress sits at the intersection of concealment and revelation; it holds your gaze without fully surrendering to it.