Elle Fanning's revealing gown boasts a significant past.
Bright, shining, and delicate, the actor seemed almost fragile, ready to shatter at any moment. As Balmain explained, the gown's organza fabric went through a four-layer resin coating to attain a glass-like look. This outfit evoked memories of the "crystalline flowers" that reversed time in JG Ballard's 1962 short story "The Garden of Time" (this year's Met Gala theme).
Fanning wasn't the only celebrity donning see-through attire on the red carpet. Emily Ratajkowski, Kim Kardashian, Doja Cat, Phoebe Dyvenor, Greta Lee, and even Eddie Redmayne all wore nearly naked outfits, occasionally featuring embroidery or crystal embellishments for modesty. Welcome to the era of the naked dress (or in Redmayne's case, naked suit).
Revealing outfits have become a regular on the red carpet and runways. At the Grammy Awards in February, both Doja Cat and Miley Cyrus donned barely there nude gowns, while at the Oscars in March, Jennifer Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Florence Pugh, Kendall Jenner, Ice Spice, Charli XCX, and Charlize Theron sported various kinds of naked dresses – from translucent lace to crystal netting. And on the 2024 Spring-Summer runways, see-through skirts were showcased at almost every show, from Prada to Erdem, Acne Studios to Dior.
This fascination with nudity reveal is not a new trend. In 1962, Hollywood actress Carroll Baker donned one of the very first naked dresses – also designed by Balmain.
Baker's breasts were mostly covered by two embellished pasties sewn onto a sheer torso panel, with embroidered beads and sequins adorning the sleeves, neckline, and skirt. It was a custom-made piece, specifically designed for Baker by Pierre Balmain at his Paris atelier. ELLE magazine remarked in 1964, "(Baker) particularly prefers muslin dresses with sparkles at the crucial points." Balmain had already designed Baker's eighth "transparent" dress.
Nowadays, the abundance of nearly naked dresses can make the red carpet resemble a Spencer Tunick photograph. Back in Baker's day, though, wearing such scandalous attire caused quite a stir. For instance, when she attended the premiere of "The Carpetbaggers" (1964) at London's Plaza cinema, her sheer Balmain gown caught everyone's attention – and even provoked headlines. The Daily Mirror reported, "Carroll goes to the show – almost topless." In the early days of these peek-a-boo garments, wearers still managed to catch some flak.
Her delicate Balmain dress drew attention – and controversy – when she showed up at the Plaza cinema in London for the premiere of her movie "The Carpetbaggers" in '64. "Carroll goes to the show – almost topless," wrote the Daily Mirror. The New York Times noted just months before her London incident that Baker had become "the most controversial female star in Hollywood," mainly due to her comfort with on-screen nudity.
The 1960s saw a rapid transformation in women's fashion in America and Europe, largely influenced by the sexual liberation movement and the gradual introduction of the contraceptive pill. Mary Quant championed the provocative mini skirt, while Edie Sedgwick turned to underwear and tights, later becoming a key reference for modern fashion.
Baker's daring dress may have been more than just a reflection of the times. Her 1964 "nearly nude" moment came just before the height of her provocative image, when the New York Times labeled her "the most controversial female star in Hollywood" for her apparent comfort with on-screen nudity.
Nudity in US films was strictly censored by the Production Code Administration, an influential body that depended on distributors to uphold content standards. After the Paramount Decrees in 1948, which forced major studios like Paramount, Fox, MGM, and Warner Brothers to divest from theaters, cinema owners gained independence. By the sixties, a violation of the Production Code Administration's nudity guidelines meant a lot less than it had 20 years earlier. Cinemas now had the final say on whether to screen the films or not.
Baker's controversial on-screen nudity made her "a major target of heated arguments about nudity in American films." The actress made a bold statement with her defiant response, "I believe that in the next 10 years, nudity will be accepted in movies… I do not think movie nudity will tarnish the national character." Even as the public and press reacted ferociously to her on-screen nudity, Baker decided to up the ante and show them some real skin.
Although Fanning's outfit was far less scandalous than Baker's, it still showed that, after six decades, the naked dress remains timeless.
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Fashion designers continue to push the boundaries of style with their experimental use of transparent materials in clothing, as evidenced by the numerous nearly naked outfits seen on the red carpet.
Designers like Balmain have been pioneers in this trend, creating stunning gowns that blend fashion and style with a touch of nudity, such as the crystalline organza gown worn by Elle Fanning at the Met Gala.
Source: edition.cnn.com
