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How low can you go? Fashion’s naked moment

L-R: Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin and Behati Prinsloo in Versace, two S/S16 Versace designs on the runway.

L-R: Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin and Behati Prinsloo in Versace, two S/S16 Versace designs on the runway.

Clothing as we know it is teetering on the brink of extinction, if the latest string of red carpet events is anything to go by.

It all started at this year’s Met Gala, when three of Hollywood’s biggest stars – Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez – arrived on the red carpet virtually nude.

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Like most trends in the transient fashion world, it was dismissed as a short-term obsession.

Beyonce at this year’s Met Gala.

However, it turns out flashing the flesh is more than just a passing fancy, with the look becoming increasingly mainstream with each star-studded awards ceremony.

This week’s American Music Awards and British Fashion Awards featured a number of skin-baring looks worn by stars who don’t typically take the plunge.

Revealing dresses are not a new concept, but rarely have we seen such a high quantity of them on the red carpet at once.

No longer the domain of sartorial risk-takers, barely-there gowns have made their way to a new guard of young up-and-comers who are flying the flag for the less-is-more philosophy.

Twenty-something models like Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Ireland Baldwin have joined a host of red carpet regulars like Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus who like to flaunt it for the cameras.

No body part is off limits for designers looking to make a statement.

Joining the perenially popular crop top is the hip-high slit, the belly button-scraping neckline and the plunging back. Or all four at once.

Bucking traditional standards for red carpet dress – which usually requires a floor-length gown – female stars are slashing hemlines, necklines and fabric and wearing it to black-tie events like the Costume Institute’s annual Met Gala, the American Music Awards and the Golden Globes.

The designer leading the charge is Donatella Versace, whose recent Spring/Summer 2016 collection featured rips and slashes suited only to those with a supermodel figure.

L-R: Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin and Behati Prinsloo in Versace, two S/S16 Versace designs on the runway.

L-R: Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin and Behati Prinsloo in Versace, two S/S16 Versace designs on the runway. Photo: Getty

Cleavage has progressed from push-up bras and peek-a-boo collars to deep V-necks that often extend down below the belly button.

cleavage-dress

L-R: Miranda Kerr, Ireland Baldwin and Salma Hayek. Photo: Getty

Mini skirts are a thing of the past, with many stars preferring to wear full-length gowns that either have sheer skirts or slits either side exposing their pins.

legs-dress

L-R: Gwen Stefani, Kendall Jenner and Julianne Hough. Photo: Getty

While some gowns may seem conservative at the front, they often feature plunging backs that come daringly close to exposing a section of the body usually only seen on crouching plumbers.

backless-dress

L-R: Kendall Jenner, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez. Photo: Getty

The crop top, a style once confined to nightclubs and cheerleaders, has made its way to black-tie events, with designers finding creative ways to squeeze pass stricter dress codes.

crop-top-dress

L-R: Gigi Hadid, Taylor Swift, Miranda Kerr and Gigi Hadid. Photo: Getty

Finally, some looks throw subtlety out the window entirely, with barely more than some carefully positioned bits of fabric keeping stars from pulling the full monty.

nude-dress

L-R: Devon Windsor, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Tove Lo, Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus. Photo: Getty

With the trend spreading through Hollywood so quickly, could it be possible we’ll all soon be wearing a little less?

Unlikely, given the majority of stars baring it all are women whose profession requires gym-honed bodies and regular bikini shoots.

However, thanks to the competitive nature of Hollywood, expect to see plenty more flesh come awards show season.

And if Paris fashion week is anything to go by, haute couture designers are leaning towards sheer fabrics and low backs over more demure designs.

So, crop tops at the Oscars? Never say never.

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