From Met Gala to Cannes, fake nipples become a red-carpet trend

At the start of May, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner appeared at the Met Gala in New York wearing looks built around exaggerated, pointed or fake nipples, echoing the Skims Ultimate Nipple Bra that Kim launched at the end of 2023 for 279 shekels. The article says the viral bra helped set off the current red-carpet trend, with Kendall in Schiaparelli and Gap Studio by Zac Posen, Kylie in Schiaparelli, and Kim in a bronze-orange fiberglass corset by Whitaker Malem and sculptor Allen Jones.

The piece also points to recent appearances by Chappell Roan at the Grammys in a Mugler look with fake nipple piercings, and by Lizzo last week at the amfAR gala in Cannes in a blue Robert Wun dress with a nipple-piercing effect. Lizzo’s look drew attention as Cannes tightens rules on nudity, while Roan’s look referenced a historical Mugler couture design from spring-summer 1998.

The article frames the trend as part of a longer fight over the “free the nipple” campaign, noting social media censorship that began in 2014 and recurring disputes over dress codes on red carpets and online platforms. It quotes Scott Willis, who wrote in XOJANE that women are routinely removed from Instagram for showing any part of the areola, while non-nude images remain online. The piece says the new looks are both a statement about women’s visibility and a branded fashion trend.