Bold statement, or a product of misogyny? What Bianca Censori’s ‘naked dress’ says about fashion on the red carpet
- Written by Harriette Richards, Senior Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University
Despite the many musical achievements celebrated at this year’s Grammy Awards, it was Bianca Censori’s red carpet appearance that won the award for most headlines.
Walking the red carpet with her husband Ye (Kanye West), nominated for best rap song, Censori first appeared wrapped in an oversized black fur coat. As the couple stood to be photographed, she dropped the coat to reveal her outfit: a transparent mini dress with no underwear.
In contrast to Ye, dressed head to toe in black, Censori’s nudity was shocking – yet somewhat unsurprising. Censori has become well known for her revealing outfits.
In September 2023, Censori was photographed in Florence wearing sheer stockings and clutching a purple throw pillow to her chest in lieu of a top. Later that year, she was spotted in Miami wearing a skimpy metal mesh bikini and hugging onto a large fluffy cat soft toy. In 2024 she was seen in Los Angeles in a clear raincoat with nothing underneath and at a dinner in Italy wearing a sheer poncho, again with nothing underneath.
And so-called “naked dresses”, like the one Censori wore to the Grammys, have pushed the boundaries of red carpet attire since 1974, when Cher famously wore a barely-there Bob Mackie gown to the Met Gala.
Changing winds of fashion
Since then, many models and actresses have embraced revealing clothing choices. Rose McGowan famously attended the MTV Video Music Awards with Marilyn Manson in 1998 wearing a chain mail dress by designer Maja Hanson that bared all.
In 2014, Rihanna wore a daring sparkling gown at the CFDA Awards encrusted with 230,000 Swarovski crystals.
At the 2017 Met Gala, both Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid wore transparent garments, Jenner in a La Perla slip and Hadid in a glittering Alexander Wang catsuit.
In 2022, when Florence Pugh wore a magnificent pink dress at a Valentino couture show in Rome, she garnered international attention for the way the outfit revealed her nipples.
For many commentators, these sheer, transparent or minimal garments have been bold fashion statements. They have also prompted conversations about misogyny and the policing of women’s bodies.
Some previous instances of naked dressing have been cause for celebration. They seem to have symbolised a feminist victory, indicating the power of women to take control of their appearance and their bodies. This has perhaps been why they have remained so popular.
However, as Donald Trump begins his second term as president with a new agenda for discriminatory gender politics, the trend now seems to be falling out of favour. Indeed, directly contrasting Censori’s look, the big names at Sunday’s event were wearing gowns that were all about design – not exposure.
Charli XCX wore a voluminous grey corseted dress straight from the Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 2025 couture show by Ludovic de Saint Sernin. Sabrina Carpenter lent into old Hollywood glamour in a custom baby blue, low backed gown by JW Anderson. And Beyoncé wore a custom glittering gold Schiaparelli gown and opera gloves designed by Daniel Roseberry.
Sabrina Carpenter lent into old Hollywood glamour in a custom baby blue, low backed gown by JW Anderson.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Far from the positive responses some recent examples of naked dressing have garnered, commentary about Ye and Censori’s stunt – apparently an attempt to replicate Ye’s Vultures I album cover – bristled with concern, pity and accusations of abuse.
But is it art?
In large part, this response is because Censori has no voice. She does not give interviews or speak to the media. Her only form of communication is her body. That she frequently appears like a deer in headlights, her eyes wide and empty, provokes assumptions about her lack of autonomy in the choice to wear such daring outfits.
Ye’s reputation for controlling behaviour merely exacerbates these assumptions.
Some have argued the outfits Censori wears are a form of “performance art”. Whether or not she is complicit in their choreographed production is a source of much speculation.
Some have argued the outfits Censori wears are a form of ‘performance art’ – others disagree.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Regardless of who orchestrates these stunts or what their purpose is (beyond mere attention seeking), they are undoubtedly gendered. It is Censori’s body on display; Ye’s body remains concealed beneath layers of oversized black garments.
They also call into question the very purpose of clothes as a practical protective layer between a vulnerable body and the world.
It must be remembered that Censori was not wearing nothing. She was wearing a dress that exposed everything. But protective layer it was not. She eschewed protection – from the elements and the gaze of the world – in favour of risk, revelation and shock.
For a pair who have capitalised on the attention received by wearing outlandishly revealing outfits, this new iteration seems to be a logical conclusion. But where does Censori go from here? There is nothing more to reveal.
Authors: Harriette Richards, Senior Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University
