Undeterred by moral police and the niff-naff of critics, the ‘naked gown’ popularity at red carpets, galas and award shows refuses to die down
Fashion has always been subjective, shaped as much by the viewer’s perception as by the designer’s intent. Yet in an era of instant online judgment, anything that demands time, context, or emotional negotiation is increasingly dismissed as tasteless or attention-seeking. The naked gown sits squarely in this discomfort zone, making it one of the most criticised- and most enduring- fashion statements of the modern red carpet. Each time a celebrity steps out in a nude-illusion gown, reactions are immediate and polarised, often split between admiration and moral outrage.
From Craft to Controversy
Despite years of criticism, mockery, and moral policing, the naked gown continues to resurface at the world’s most visible fashion moments, refusing to fade like many other controversial trends. What is often reduced to shock value online is, for designers, rooted in couture craftsmanship, layering, precision, and an understanding of the body as structure rather than spectacle. Nude illusion is not a modern invention; it has existed for decades within couture ateliers, where transparency and skin-tone fabrics are used to sculpt form rather than expose it.
Design vs Outrage
For Isha Jajodia, Founder and Creative Director of Roseroom, shock is rarely the starting point. “When I work with nude illusion, shock is never the starting point,” she says. “The intention is always about proportion, balance, and how
the body is revealed with sensitivity.” Jajodia resists designing with moral judgment in mind, arguing that such reactions often stem from how fashion is consumed today rather than what is being created. “Nude illusion has existed for decades in couture and is rooted in craftsmanship, layering, and precision. At Roseroom, it is approached as an exploration of femininity and form, not provocation.”
The Speed of Consumption
Designers point to the rapid circulation of images as a major factor behind the naked gown’s continued controversy. Rahul Khanna of Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna notes that garments designed for movement, layering, and gradual reveal are often flattened when viewed through isolated images online. “Much of the discomfort around such garments comes from how fashion is consumed today- quickly and often without context,” he explains. “When images circulate in isolation, nuance and the thought behind it can be lost. That’s when the conversation shifts away from intent and craft toward surface-level reactions.”
Structure Over Exposure
Contrary to popular perception, many nude-illusion gowns rely heavily on restraint. Khanna emphasises that their approach is grounded in control rather than exposure. “When we work with nude illusion, the intent is never to provoke shock. The starting point is always structure and restraint and how the body is suggested rather than exposed,” he says. This philosophy carries into their upcoming Summer Couture 2026 collection, where layering and veiling become central design elements. “The interest lies in what is withheld as much as what is shown.”
Comfort & Confidence
Another overlooked aspect of the naked gown debate is the wearer’s agency. Jajodia stresses that confidence and comfort are non-negotiable. “Ultimately, the most important factor is the woman wearing it. She must feel comfortable, secure, and confident in her body and in the garment,” she says. When that alignment exists, she believes external noise becomes secondary. Discomfort, she adds, often reveals more about societal impatience with nuance than about the garment itself.
A Failure of Understanding
As criticism resurfaces with every red-carpet appearance, the persistence of the naked gown raises a larger question: is its endurance a failure of public understanding, or proof that fashion still needs challenging silhouettes? Jajodia views it as dialogue rather than defiance. “The naked gown endures because it addresses something fundamental-the relationship between the body, control, and self-expression,” she explains. “It asks the viewer to sit with their own discomfort and question why a body feels confrontational at all.”
Why Naked Gown Endures
Khanna echoes this sentiment, framing the silhouette as part of fashion’s ongoing negotiation between visibility and power. “Certain silhouettes return because they continue to juxtapose exposure and control,” he says.
The nude-illusion gown, when executed thoughtfully, becomes less about attention and more about precision- shadow, proportion, and presence working together. In a fashion landscape increasingly driven by immediacy, its persistence signals that some garments still demand patience, reflection, and a willingness to engage with complexity rather than dismiss it.
DARE TO BARE
Several celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, Anushka Sharma, Jennifer Lawrence, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Kim Kardashian West, and Kylie Jenner, among others, have shown their love for the naked dress.
