It's see through season! Why are stars baring all on the red carpet?
Red carpet fashion always features the occasional 'look at me' ensemble, from Bjork's infamous 'swan' dress at the Oscars, to Lady Gaga's VMAs 'meat' outfit and Kim Kardashian's full-body black morph suit at last week's Met Gala.
Now, it seems, the stars are tired of going unnoticed during lockdown, when events were cancelled and boring casual-wear was enforced. Female celebrities are going all-out to be noticed, by wearing as little as possible to this season's re-booted big events - and that means being totally transparent.
Rocking the see-through trend recently was Zoe Kravitz at the Met Ball, in a jewelled Yves St Laurent dress, which could have been worn by an Egyptian Queen several millennia ago.
It was a waterfall of glittering rhinestones and revealed Kravitz's sparkling thong beneath.
Kendall Jenner, meanwhile, showcased a very racy take on Audrey Hepburn's Givenchy dress in My Fair Lady, with a sheer bodice and draped skirt embellished with glittering jewels, under which her nude lingerie was clearly visible. She's no stranger to a reveal-all number, however, as she proved at the Met gala back in 2017 in slashed, embellished black net.
Fashion model Irina Shayk wore a nude sheer corset dress by Moschino, decorated with cascades of silk flowers - though her super-toned physique was the most noticeable aspect.
Meanwhile, at the VMAs last week, actor Megan Fox arrived on the red carpet with a bang, alongside boyfriend Machine Gun Kelly. She wore a sparkling transparent slip by Mugler over a tiny G string to protect her modesty.
Most covered up a little for the venerable Emmys - but actor Issa Rae wore a dress designed by her stylist Jason Rembert's label Aliétte, which featured a metallic netting look, and revealed her toned body beneath.
Actor Keri Russell also went sheer, with embellished lace detailing, and singer-actor-writer Our Lady J pushed the boat out as far as it would go, with a black sheer dress by Marko Monroe that left almost nothing to the imagination.
It's quite a departure from the Classic Hollywood 'couture. dress' look. But What;s driving the dress-in-less trend?
Krishan Parmar is a celebrity stylist and consultant, who has dressed stars for The Oscars, Emmys, Baftas, and Venice Film Festival amongst major events. He says:
"The nude illusion dress trend has been around for longer than I have - we can all remember Cher wearing that gorgeous Bob Mackie gown to the MET Gala in the 70's!
"Usually reserved for those celebrities wanting to grab headlines on the red carpets we have seen the trend revisited by Megan Fox, Kendall Jenner and Issa Rae all in the past week," he adds.
"Previously seen as daring and ground breaking, this time round the trend has had the full backing of the high street, with a plethora of 'barely there' styles available to buy from popular online retailers.
"The world has become desensitised to seeing other peoples bodies," Parmar explains.
"We no longer see them as signs of sexuality being flaunted, but instead discuss the design and beauty of the garments - the way it should be."
Read more: Kesha Wore a Naked Dress With a Thong at the Neon Premiere of Pig
Stylist Gabrielle Teare, who recently worked on a The Expendables franchise premiere, says, "It's not entirely new - Ralph and Russo made lots of great see-through dresses from 2009 onwards.
"I dressed someone in a Ralph and Russo see through dress and she looked stunning."
Feeling brave? Teare advises, "For maximum effect the wearer needs to be tall and have a small bust. Choose nude, pale pink, gold or white fabrics - and lots of sparkle!"
Watch: The most glamorous looks from the Emmys red carpet 2021
