During a year that has been defined by sheer dresses, there were some who used all that gossamer-fine fabric to make a statement (“Grow up, respect people,” said Valentino’s pink lady Florence Pugh), and others who simply showed just how fabulous they look in next to nothing (Kate Moss, the now-celestial beauty influencer, we’re looking at you).
While the girls have brought sexy back, the guys have been going their own way in linen skirts (hi Brad!), backless halters (has Timothée Chalamet been crushing on Mick Jagger?), and feathered ballgown skirts (it’s all industry, baby, for Lil Nas X).
It wouldn’t be a major looks list without the royals, who did Top Gun glamour, or Rihanna, who redefined maternity dressing, but a surprising contender also wormed their way into mainstream fashion with a little help of some artful prosthetics. Here’s to Heidi Klum, and everyone who dressed a little differently this year.
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Rihanna
By the time everyone’s favorite bad gal took her seat at the Dior fall 2022 show, Rihanna was playing a game of one upmanship with herself when it came to maternity wear. Taking the underwear as outerwear trend to its most literal point, Rih and her Gloss Bombed lips smized in the face of those who thought wearing a bralette this year was outré. When it came to shaking up the pregnancy fashion rulebook, we have one woman to thank for making us think outside the elasticated waistband box. Oh na na, what’s her name?
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Photo: Getty Images
Timothée Chalamet
The best harness wearer in the business threw Chalamaniacs a curveball at Venice Film Festival in a blood-red Haider Ackermann halter-top with a useless skinny scarf and slinky low-back. It was Bowie – wait, Timmy – style done well: unexpected, androgynous and retro-yet-modern. Think Studio 54-meets-cannibal chic – or have we completely lost our marbles?
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Kate Moss
As part of the model’s rebrand into wellness guru, Kate Moss has been showing off the fruits of a life spent wafting incense and supping dawn and dusk elixirs, sorry, teas. Whispers of dresses laden with talisman jewellery and highlighting that lit-from-within-glow have become her calling card, such as this Grace Jones-inspired hooded Saint Laurent number at a memorable WSJ Innovator Awards. What’s a spot of VPL for the woman who unintentionally invented the naked slip dress in the ’90s?
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Kim Kardashian
Say what you want about Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala look, but her commitment to going the extra mile is unparalleled. Yes, her Marilyn Monroe transformation, for which she lost 16 pounds and spent 14 hours straight bleaching her hair, poses questions about role models, but she’s the only star with the power to persuade Ripley’s to unearth the multi-million dollar dress from its darkened 68°C vault. The fact she only wore the “Happy Birthday, Mr President” look embellished with 6,000 crystals for mere minutes, before changing into a less precious replica, did not matter. Kardashian had put her own stamp on the first “naked” dress in American history.