The naked dress is a fashion trend our favorite celebrities have loved for several years now. Nudity has become a staple on red carpets and on runways. So, while it’s not a shock celebs are leaning into the naked form now more than ever, the one thing that feels different about it is the whole etched in stone/molded of clay situation that seems to be unavoidable as of press time.
The concept of The Body as an art form has existed since art existed. The 2026 Met Costume Institute’s spring 2026 exhibition even asserted that central role, focusing on the dressed and undressed body throughout art history. Historically the question around highlighting a body for the sake of fashion has been to clothe or not to clothe. And instead of answering it, celebrities like Cardi B, Zendaya, Kendall and Kylie Jenner have all leaned into this trend we’re going to call Sculpcore.
Sculptures, statues, nods to Grecian gods and mythology is the fashion’s newfound way to tap into nakedness without using someone’s actual body as the base.
This week alone, two of our favorite fashion girls engaged in Sculpcore. Zendaya stepped out in London for the premiere of The Odyssey wearing Daniel Roseberry’s Schiaparelli fall/winter 2026-27 collection. The piece was literally and figuratively sculpted (as in, it was molded by hand out of porcelain-effect silicone). The chalk-white bodice had a hyper-realistic front, reminiscent of any statue we’d see at the museum. The corset-style bodice laced up at the back, and featured a cascading fringe skirt with white and clear beads that lit up.
Schiaparelli frequently features body parts in their designs, but this year’s haute couture show embraced Sculpcore fully, with multiple pieces riffing off of this molded form concept and including lighting, almost as if they’re on display in a museum.
In fashion and art, this body focus is nothing new, with brands like Jean Paul Gaultier making colorful body-focused clothes popular for the fashion crowd back in 1993. But now, we’ve raised the stakes, going full OG stone aesthetic, leaning into more muted, statue grays and whites.
And like Zendaya, Cardi B tapped into that same color code, attending Rahul Mishra’s fall/winter 2026 couture show in a custom ivory corset dress with trompe l’oeil embroidery and draping to make her body appear chiseled from marble. The look also featured intricate beadwork at her shoulders and hips heightening the illusion. Mishra shared that the look was inspired by the 12th-century sculpture of Mohini at India’s Chennakeshava Temple in Belur.
Let’s not forget that at the Met Gala, Kendall and Kylie Jenner both tapped into this growing look. Kylie wore a custom Schiaparelli dress with a skin-tight nude corset and pointed faux nipples.
Kendall wore a custom gown from GapStudio designed by Zac Posen. It was inspired by the Winged Victory of Samothrace sculpture. Also, never forget Heidi Klum cosplaying as a full on statue that same night.
In our modern world where AI and quick, non-detailed art are taking over, it is interesting to see high fashion continue to root and champion slow movement. It’s a return to the days when statues were first being built, crafted for hours, just like these designs. Things change quickly, from fast fashion to trends, so a Sculpcore renaissance might just be exactly what we need.
Aiyana Ishmael is the style editor at Cosmopolitan magazine. In her work, Aiyana focuses on the culture of fashion and how it intertwines and shapes the zeitgeist. She is an award-winning journalist from Miami, Florida, and a graduate of the historically Black university, Florida A&M. She is a 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30: Media honoree, and her debut romance novella PASSING GAME is set to release March of 2027 (831 Stories/Simon & Schuster).
