During the 2026 grammy awards in Los Angeles, the red carpet was again a place of sartorial provocation, with few looks doubting the traditional definition of dress as obviously as Chappell Roan did. Nominated in both Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, Roan appeared in a custom Mugler outfit, taking the idea of the concept of naked dressing to a new height.
She first came into view wearing a burgundy chiffon cape which almost blended with her long red hair. When she took off the cape it turned out to be an opaque, floor-length skirt held in place by her pierced nipples, the upper portion of the body being naked. The building turned the garment into a conceptual object and made the garment a foreground to the body as a form and spectacle.
Although some other artists were adopting skin-forward aesthetics, their versions seemed relatively repressed. Heidi Klum was dressed in a sculpted, latex strapless dress by Marina Hoermanseder that was meant to give the impression of her naked body with anatomically-shaped forms. Karol G showed up in a lace dress by Paolo Sebastian, and Kehlani has chosen a black festooned outfit by Valdrin Sahiti. Both mentioned nudity, but neither of them went as far as literal exposure that Roan did.
Naked dressing is not the first to the 2026 Grammy
which has been long considered the most liberal of the major awards ceremonies. Since the legendary Lil’ Kim in her 1999 MTV VMAs suit, and Bianca Censori in her scandalous outfit last year, musicians and their allies have challenged the social norms of the red carpet more than once. The appearance of Roan, though, pushed the trend to an even greater level and reduced the gap between body and garment to a minimum.
This extremity was expressed in public reaction. In the social media, there were mixed reactions as some people praised it due to its boldness and others raised practical issues about the fragility of the outfit. The moment was, however, a momentary one. Roan transformed into an all-covering ivory Rodarte dress inside the auditorium to present the award of Best New Artist, to reestablish a sense of traditional glamour.
Her short appearance on red carpet, however, highlighted a larger change in celebrity style: naked dressing is no longer suggestive or illusionary, but even more literal and leaves one questioning where clothing and performance intersect.
Of course, naked dressing is not a new concept on a red carpet, especially on the biggest night in music, which is deemed the more relaxed and risky relative to other award shows. A year ago, Bianca Censori, the wife of the rapper and designer Ye, who is also known as Kanye West, came in a minidress revealing enough to make some question whether it might be a case of indecent exposure. And in 1999, during the MTV Video Music awards, Lil’ Kim was wearing an off-shoulder jumpsuit that transformed the exposure of the nipples.
The red-carpet appearance of Ms. Roan, however, appeared to have carried the concept a bit farther. Some said it was iconic on social media though others were concerned about what would occur in case someone slipped and stepped on the dress.
They needn’t worry. Upon entering the auditorium, Ms. Roan switched into a floor-length, ivory gown by Rodarte to hand the award of best new artist to Olivia Dean. A nipple or two were not to be seen.
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