Celebrities are constantly keeping a step ahead of the masses when it comes to the fashion stakes and it appears a new trend is slowly building in popularity.
Recently red carpets – and stars’ Instagram feeds – have been filling up with mind-bending outfits that have a bit more edge: the element of an optical illusion.
Just this week, Harry Potter star Emma Watson baffled fans with a gravity-defying Loewe mini-dress that she wore during a photoshoot for brother Alex’s gin brand Renais.
And earlier this month, Jennifer Lawrence walked the Madrid premiere for her new movie, No Hard Feelings, in another Loewe outfit, but this time it was constructed to look like it was two-dimensional when photographed from the front.
Emma Watson left fans bamboozled with her ‘gravity-defying’ dress after posting snaps of herself posing with brother Alex to Instagram for his new gin brand, Renais. She was wearing a stunning strapless baby blue draped minidress boasting asymmetric wiring, from Loewe’s spring 2023 collection. But the superstar’s followers were immediately confused over the garment’s structure. One fan asked: ‘What in the wingardium leviosa is that dress?’ while another added: ‘The dress looks like it’s floating. I’m trying to understand’
But they’re not the first A-listers to try on the trend for size.
Back in May, Elsa Hosk stunned Cannes with her double-bodice look from Viktor & Rolf.
On the other hand, a number of other celebrities – such as Ashley Graham, Kourtney Kardashian and Gigi Hadid – have been trying out the ‘naked’ look.
Their takes on the trend have made people do double-takes as they gave the illusion of being nude with some clever prints.
Meanwhile Heidi Klum made a splash with a sheer silver gown that was designed to look like flowing water. Fittingly she was at the premiere of Avatar: The Way Of Water.
And UK stars Emma Corrin and Ikram Abdi Omar took the optical illusion trend to new heights.
Emma wore a dress that mimicked a goldfish in a bag, while Ikram stunned on the Cannes red carpet in a black-and-white gown that could trick the eye.
FEMAIL has laid out the celebrities who have taken on the tricky trend below.
Jennifer Lawrence’s 2D-looking dress for red carpet premiere
The Oscar-winning actress stepped out in a Loewe Fall 2023 dress that was made to look 2D from the front for the Madrid premiere of her new movie, No Hard Feelings, earlier this month. Jennifer, 32, paired the cream number with a pair of black open-toed pumps
When the actress turned to the side you got to see more of how the illusion was created as the bust appears to be constructed to sit straight-up, instead of flush on the body to create the 2D effect
Ashley Graham flaunts her curves in eye-catching dress
The 35-year-old model showed off her figure in this Syndical Chamber dress that had a body print and a thigh-high split for Vas J Morgan’s 2022 British Fashion Awards’ afterparty that was hosted by Rita Ora back in December. The mauve number with cutout detailing across her chest gave the illusion that she was naked until you took a closer look
Elsa Hosk has people seeing double at Cannes
The Swedish model, 34, swept the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in May with this Viktor & Rolf gown that featured the unique design. The dress was intentionally made to look like its top blue tulle layer had slipped off to expose an undergarment bodice. It featured in the luxury label’s spring/summer 2023 collection. But the look almost didn’t come together after Elsa’s luggage was lost and it had to be flown from Los Angeles
Olivia Rodrigo’s mind-bending Grammys look by Vivienne Westwood
Back in April 2022, Olivia made her first Grammy Awards appearance in a black Vivienne Westwood gown with pink beading outlining the curves of a woman’s body. The optical illusion dress was paired with coordinating chokers, and gave the then 19-year-old a distinct 90s look. She also wore opera-length gloves
Bella Thorne’s ‘naked’ dress is not all that it seems
In another entry from the Syndical Chamber label, Bella, now 25, rocked this ‘naked’ dress back in March 2022. The red body-print dress definitely caught the eye during a Morbius fan screening in LA. When she turned around, it exposed a tramp stamp tattoo printed on the back. Bella paired the number with red patent pumps
Heidi Klum steps out in silver tulle number made to look like flowing water
Known to go the extra mile when it comes to her outfits (see: her Halloween costumes), the 50-year-old supermodel wanted to look the part for the premiere of Avatar: The Way Of Water back in December. She donned this exquisite silver gown made out of a sheer tulle and designed by Lever Couture that gave the illusion of flowing water
Ikram Abdi Omar stuns in black-and-white optical illusion dress and matching hat
In a show-stopping moment, the UK model wore this black-and-white striped gown and matching hat realized by Harris Reed for Nina Ricci at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in May. ‘Before even stepping out, I felt like I was wearing a masterpiece. I don’t think one person walked past me without telling me how beautiful it was. I really felt spectacular,’ she told Vogue at the time
She also gushed about Reed’s designs, adding what she loved most about his work was ‘the drama and theatrics.’ She continued: ‘I also love how so much of his collection is modest, it’s the perfect balance’
There’s something fishy about Emma Corrin’s red carpet look
Emma’s red carpet outfit had people doing a double-take with the dress bearing a very striking resemblance to a goldfish in a bag. The October 2022 look, from JW Anderson, was for the London Film Festival premiere of My Policeman, which Emma starred in alongside Harry Styles
Kourtney Kardashian makes heads turn in this ‘nude’ dress
In January, Kourtney, who just revealed she was expecting her first child with husband Travis Barker, showed off her figure in this Balmain number, with the front of the dress giving the illusion that she’s nude. When she turned around, it revealed a more modest design with cherubs featured on the back of the dress on a sky blue background
Gigi Hadid’s own ‘naked’ moment in Balmain bodysuit
You couldn’t miss Gigi in this Balmain bodysuit during season two of Netflix show Next In Fashion, which she co-hosts with Tan France. It was fitting that she appeared here alongside the brand’s creative director Olivier Rousteing. It was the shadowing of the design that really sold the illusion of a naked body of Gigi’s look
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