On the red carpets of 2023’s hottest movie premieres, awards shows and fashion events, celebrities wore unique takes on one of the year’s most sought-after trends: the cutout dress.
From Cardi B attending the Grammy Awards in bright blue to Dua Lipa arriving at the Cannes Film Festival in jet black, their cut-out dresses used intentional draping and thoughtful design to create a distinctive silhouette that exposes angular parts of the body . Brands like Celine, Alexander McQueen and Gucci took advantage of the trend, dressing the stars in playful dresses with cutouts that took their on-camera look to the next level.
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To celebrate the trend’s popularity on the red carpet this year, WWD looks back at some memorable moments.
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion attended the 2023 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Northfield, Massachusetts, on April 2, wearing a custom blue cut-out dress from Italian brand Defaïence. The look featured a cutout on the left side of the star, which was highlighted by a dramatic white buckle.
Aubrey Plaza
Aubrey Plaza attended the 2023 Met Gala celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” in New York on May 1, wearing a dress from Stella McCartney’s Fall 2023 collection. The cutouts ran along Plaza’s right shoulder and opened a small hole above her right hip.
Cailee Spaeny
Cailee Spaeny attended the premiere of “Priscilla” during the 67th BFI London Film Festival at the Royal Festival Hall in London on October 9, wearing a custom pink Miu Miu dress. The dress featured a cutout along the front of the star’s bodice with an intricate beading detail that appeared to emerge from the opening.
Amelia Dimoldenberg
Amelia Dimoldenberg attended the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London on May 14 in a fuchsia velvet cut-out Roberto Cavalli dress. The dress had cutouts on the side of Dimoldenberg’s figure and on the front of her cleavage.
Cardi B
Cardi B attended the 65th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5, wearing a deep indigo cut-out dress from Indian couturier Gaurav Gupta’s Spring 2023 collection. The cutout extended from the side of the star’s waist forward in an elongated oval shape.
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa attended the ‘Omar La Fraise (The King of Algiers)’ red carpet during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 19, wearing a black one-shoulder cutout dress from Celine’s Spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection. The cutouts on the dress stretched out from Lipa’s right side to her left side.
Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning attended the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on January 15, wearing a tulle cut-out dress from Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2023 collection. The cutouts made on the beige dress were found throughout the bodice and skirt, giving the garment a ripped effect.
Julia Garner
Julia Garner hit the ‘Asteroid City’ red carpet at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 23 wearing a custom Gucci silk dress. The Kelly green dress had a single cutout at the center front that ended in a twisted halter neckline.
Xochitl Gomez
Xochitl Gomez attended the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Wonka’ at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles on December 10, wearing a LaQuan Smith cut-out dress in hot pink from the designer’s Spring 2023 collection. The main feature was a cutout that ran in a wide “U” shape along the star’s upper body.
Gemma Chan
Gemma Chan attended the ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ red carpet at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 18, wearing a custom scarlet Louis Vuitton dress. The dress gathered into an asymmetrical knot on Chan’s right side, creating two large triangular cutouts along her waist.
Hunter Schafer
Hunter Schafer attended the Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” at the TCL Chinese Theater on Nov. 13 wearing a crystal-covered Alexander McQueen cut-out dress from the pre-Fall 2023 collection the brand. The metallic dress featured several cutouts along Shafer’s left and right sides.
Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh attended the premiere of “Oppenheimer” at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on July 13, wearing a rust orange Valentino cut-out dress from the brand’s Fall 2023 couture collection. The dress was designed with two large cut-outs on either side, separating the halter bodice from the accompanying circle skirt.
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens attended the 2023 Met Gala in New York City on May 1 wearing a custom, color-block cutout dress from Michael Kors Collection. Hudgens’ dress featured a large center cutout between the two front layers of black chiffon.
Yara Shahidi
Yara Shahidi attended the world premiere of “Peter Pan & Wendy” at The Curzon Mayfair in London on April 20 wearing a gold cut-out neckline dress by Alexander McQueen. The dress had several small slit-style cutouts along the sides, mimicking the triangular shapes found in the rest of the dress’s design.
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried attended the 28th annual Critics’ Choice Awards at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on January 15 wearing a metallic gold Christian Dior cutout dress from the brand’s Spring 2020 couture collection. The bodice and skirt of the dress were connected with a button at the center front, creating two large recesses between the fabric panels.
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde attended the 2023 Met Gala celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” in New York City on May 1 wearing a custom cut-out dress by Chloé, inspired by Lagerfeld’s 1983 violin dress. Wilde’s dress had two large cutouts that would have completely separated the star’s dress in two if not for the guitar-shaped front panel connecting the pieces.
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell attended the ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ red carpet at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 20 wearing a cherry red Valentino cut-out dress from the brand’s Spring 2023 haute couture collection. The dress featured large geometric cutouts that spread all over Campbell’s body.
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