It’s the year of the naked body mould - with everyone from Heidi Klum to Zendaya and Kim Kardashian trying the daring fashion trend.
As opposed to all-out nudity, this growing fad, which Vogue has labelled the ‘breastplate’, involves wearing a 3D cast of a naked body (often the celebrity’s own) complete with nipples, cheekily placed hand grabs and exposed bottoms.
Although some have made the daring trend look surprisingly tasteful, take a bow Hailey Bieber, many of the outfits are sure to raise a blush.
Gigi Vakilzadeh, a personal stylist, colour expert and founder of Styling with Gigi, told The Daily Mail the ‘body sculpting’ trend risks ‘drawing attention for the wrong reasons.’
She said: ‘It's a beautiful way to express femininity rather than seeking sex appeal. Women wearing it become live pieces of sculptural art if it's done right.
’Otherwise if overdone, it looks quite uncomfortable to the eye.’
Award-winning personal stylist Lisa Talbot told The Daily Mail: ‘Ultimately, I don't think naked bodices are a trend that everyone needs to try. When it feels forced, all you notice is the nakedness.’
As opposed to all-out nudity, the growing fad of naked body moulds on the red carpet, which Vogue has labelled the ‘breastplate’, involves wearing a 3D cast of a naked body (often the celebrity’s own) complete with nipples, cheekily placed hand grabs and exposed bottoms
She added: ‘A structured bodice can define the waist, support the bust and create that hourglass silhouette, which is why it can be particularly effective on someone with a smaller waist and a fuller bust. But it isn’t exclusively about body shape.
‘The cut, the fit and the way the garment is constructed are just as important, and a well-designed bodice can create shape and proportion on lots of different figures.
‘I think the appeal sits somewhere between sex and art. There is an obvious sensuality to exposing the body and drawing attention to the bust and waist.
‘But at the high-fashion end, it can also be about craftsmanship, architecture and the artistry of the garment. The body almost becomes part of the design.’
So who got the look right, and who missed the mark? Let’s take a deeper look…
Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor attends the 6th Annual Academy Museum Gala in a powder blue Schiaparelli breastplate gown
Teyana Taylor was the latest to expose all in the trend, turning heads on Saturday night in a powder blue Schiaparelli breastplate gown with embossed nipple detailing.
The 35-year-old One Battle After Another actress wore the ‘silicone-molded bodice’ to the sixth annual Academy Museum Gala.
Featuring a daring V-line, the gown was completed with a ‘skirt embroidered with miniature tulle flowers’, the fashion house explained on Instagram.
Gigi said: ‘Teyana’s look is dramatic and busy, but somehow looks exquisite.
‘The colours complement each other, the bodice is impeccably fitted and the pointy detail is placed really flatteringly to elongate her body shape.
‘She’s wearing it with conviction and confidence, which makes it look even more stunning.’
Our verdict: Busy but bold
Heidi Klum
Always far from shy and retiring, model and mum-of-four Heidi Klum, 53, admitted she wanted a ‘showstopper kind of outfit’ for the Grammy’s in February
She wore a nude, custom-made Marina Hoermanseder design, honed from a body cast of the 53-year-old’s own naked frame
Always far from shy and retiring, model and mum-of-four Heidi Klum, 53, admitted she wanted a ‘showstopper kind of outfit’ for the Grammy’s in February.
She wore a nude, custom-made Marina Hoermanseder design, honed from a body cast of the 53-year-old’s own naked frame.
Gigi said: ‘In my personal opinion it’s a beautifully fitted look, however tonally it just looks off for her skin tone. She looks rather washed out.’
Lisa said: ‘When the focus is solely on how much skin is exposed, it can lose that fashion element and feel more like a gimmick.
‘For me, the most successful looks are those where the design is interesting in its own right, rather than relying on the shock factor.’
Our verdict: Too exposing
Zendaya
Zendaya stunned in a pearl white bodice, which was reminiscent of Greek sculptures, with a cascading beaded fringe metallic skirt
Her stylist, Law Roach, hand-delivered the gown from the brand’s fall/winter 2026 couture show, which took place in Paris just hours before
Teyana’s gown quickly drew comparisons to Zendaya’s Schiaparelli breastplate dress from London’s Odyssey premiere in July.
The 30-year-old actress wore a pearl white bodice, which was reminiscent of Greek sculptures, with a cascading beaded fringe metallic skirt.
Her stylist, Law Roach, hand-delivered the gown from the brand’s fall/winter 2026 couture show, which took place in Paris just hours before.
‘Yes, I flew in last night to come to the show,’ Law told press at the Schiaparelli event. ‘I have a private jet waiting for me.’
Of course, this means the body worn by Zendaya was not her own, unlike some of our other stars.
Gigi said: ‘This look is all about drama done tastefully. Despite so much detail, her colour is kept cohesive.
‘The pointy body elongates her shape beautifully, creating a gorgeous statement look.’
Our verdict: Tasteful drama
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian, 45, wore a 1960s Allen Jones and Whitaker Malem body mould, which was painted vibrant orange in a car body shop for her look at the Met Gala
In May, the Met Gala theme of ‘fashion is art’ sparked a flurry of bodice gowns.
Kim Kardashian, 45, wore a 1960s Allen Jones and Whitaker Malem body mould, which was painted vibrant orange in a car body shop for her look.
‘I wanted something original, I didn’t want to cast my own body,’ she told Vogue at the time.
Gigi said: ‘The piece she's wearing is an exquisite piece of art, well suited for her body and the Met Gala.
‘In my opinion she as a person is overpowered by it. But the intention of drama is definitely captured well.’
She added: ‘These looks require a certain attitude, but that doesn't mean simply being comfortable showing skin.‘
‘It's about wearing the outfit rather than allowing the outfit to wear you. The most successful looks feel intentional and true to the person wearing them.’
Our verdict: Missed the mark
Kylie Jenner
Repeat offenders Schiaparelli were responsible for 29-year-old Kylie Jenner’s sculpted nude breastplate at The Met
The dress fatured prosthetic nipples, which looked straight out of a Skims catalogue
Kim’s younger sisters followed the same trend at The Met.
Repeat offenders Schiaparelli were responsible for 29-year-old Kylie Jenner’s sculpted nude breastplate, with prosthetic nipples, which looked straight out of a Skims catalogue.
Gigi said: ‘Tonally, the bodice is exquisitely matched to her skin tone which makes it a piece of art rather than an attention seeking piece. She almost looks like a beautiful statue.’
The bodice descended into a flowing skirt. ‘The dress feels like it’s slipping away,’ her hairstylist Iggy Rosales told Vogue. ‘It becomes this living sculpture in motion.’
Our verdict: Work of art
Kendall Jenner
Kendall’s Met Gala gown, by GapStudio, had a subtle nod to the trend – with a bra top poking out of her ripped dress on one side
Gigi said of the 30-year-old model: ‘Kendall looks like a beautiful statue, celebrating a woman's body and curves'
Kendall’s Met Gala gown, by GapStudio, had a subtle nod to the trend – with a bra top poking out of her ripped dress on one side.
Gigi said of the 30-year-old model: ‘Kendall looks like a beautiful statue, celebrating a woman's body and curves.
‘It gives us a glimpse of drama but leaves the rest to the imagination. Tonal harmony at its best.’
Our verdict: Leaves enough to the imagination
Hailey Bieber
Like Heidi, 29-year-old Hailey Bieber’s 2026 breastplate dress was sculpted from her own body
Paired with a silk chiffon skirt, blue cape and metallic gladiator sandals, it was inspired by Saint Laurent’s 1969 couture collection
Like Heidi, 29-year-old Hailey Bieber’s 2026 breastplate dress was sculpted from her own body.
The Rhode founder wore a custom Saint Laurent dress with a bodice made entirely from 24-carat gold to this year’s Met Gala.
Unlike Heidi’s outfit, the implied nudity stopped at her hips.
Paired with a silk chiffon skirt, blue cape and metallic gladiator sandals, it was inspired by Saint Laurent’s 1969 couture collection.
Gigi said: ‘The colours and fit are exquisite. She looks amazing in it, a beautiful testimony to a woman's shape.’
Lisa said: ‘Naked bodices can be a really striking fashion statement, but they are one of those trends where the execution makes all the difference.
‘They can look incredibly beautiful and sculptural when the fit is right and there is real thought behind the design.
‘The body becomes part of the outfit, rather than the outfit simply being about showing skin.
‘For me, the key is balance. A structured, sheer or exposed bodice is already doing a lot of the talking, so the rest of the look needs to work with it rather than compete with it.
‘The styling, proportions and fabric all matter. When everything comes together, it can look confident, sophisticated and high fashion.’
Our verdict: Perfect execution
Sabine Getty
British-Lebanese jewellery designer Sabine Getty, 42, also caught attention at the Met Gala, thanks to her gold-and-white outfit
Wearing a custom haute couture creation by Ashi Studio, with a hand-painted design, she later said on Instagram it was ‘conceived as a living work of art’
British-Lebanese jewellery designer Sabine Getty, 42, also caught attention at the Met Gala, thanks to her gold-and-white outfit.
Wearing a custom haute couture creation by Ashi Studio, with a hand-painted design, she later said on Instagram it was ‘conceived as a living work of art’.
‘The hand-painted corset references 18th-century painting, where light and shadow shape the body, echoing the tradition of academic nudes,’ she added.
It featured two hands, one cupping her breast and the other creeping towards her pantyline.
‘Where it can go wrong is when the bodice looks more like lingerie than a considered piece of clothing,’ Lisa warned.
‘It can also become a little predictable if the only aim is to shock or reveal as much as possible.’
Gigi loved Sabine’s look, saying: ‘She looks visually cohesive, no competing elements. It’s a great fit and tonal colours make this look super chic.’
Our verdict: A bit much
Greta Lee
Actress Greta Lee, 43, was a lady in red in her Issey Miyake bodice at the San Francisco International Film Festival Opening Night in April
Actress Greta Lee, 43, was a lady in red in her Issey Miyake bodice at the San Francisco International Film Festival Opening Night in April.
The blood red bodice had the same high gloss as our other stars, but with a looser fit for a less gratuitous look.
Gigi said: ‘Her colour and fit are doing all the talking. It’s a simpler version of the trend which focuses entirely on fit, making it look chic and flattering.’
Greta paired the bodice with a burgundy maxi gown, which was likewise a less overt choice than some stars’ sheer gowns.
Our verdict: Simple shine
You can follow Gigi on Instagram @stylingwithgigi.