Walking the red carpets at 2023’s most popular film premieres, award shows and fashion events were celebrities wearing unique iterations of 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 cutout dresses used deliberate draping and thoughtful design to create a distinctive silhouette that exposes angular portions of the body. Brands like Celine, Alexander McQueen and Gucci took advantage of the trend and dressed the stars in whimsical cutout gowns that elevated their look in front of the camera.
To celebrate the trend’s popularity on the red carpet this year, WWD is taking a look back at some memorable moments.
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion attended the 2023 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Northfield, Mass., on April 2 in a custom blue cutout dress by Italian brand Defaïence. The look featured a cutout on the star’s left side, which was emphasized 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 “Priscilla” premiere during the 67th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall in London on Oct. 9 wearing a custom pink Miu Miu dress. The gown featured a cutout along the front of the star’s bodice with an intricate beaded detail that appeared to spill out 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 cutout Roberto Cavalli gown. The dress featured cutouts both on the side of Dimoldenberg’s figure and down the front of her décolletage.
Cardi B
Cardi B attended the 65th annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 5 wearing a deep indigo cutout gown from Indian couturier Gaurav Gupta’s spring 2023 collection. The cutout extended from the side of the star’s waistline toward the front 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 gown from Celine’s spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection. The cutouts featured on the dress extended outward from Lipa’s right side to her left.
Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning attended the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Jan. 15 wearing a tulle cutout gown from Alexander McQueen’s spring 2023 collection. The cutouts placed onto the beige dress were found throughout the bodice and on the skirt, giving the garment a tattered effect.
Julia Garner
Julia Garner attended the “Asteroid City” red carpet during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 23 wearing a custom silk gown from Gucci. The Kelly green dress had a singular front center cutout which led into a twisted halter neck.
Xochitl Gomez
Xochitl Gomez attended the Los Angeles premiere of “Wonka” at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 10 wearing a LaQuan Smith cutout dress in bright pink from the designer’s spring 2023 collection. The main feature was a cutout that ran along the star’s upper torso in a wide “U” shape.
Gemma Chan
Gemma Chan attended the “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” red carpet during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 18 wearing a custom scarlet red Louis Vuitton gown. The dress gathered into an asymmetric knot on Chan’s right side, creating two large triangular cutouts along her waistline.
Hunter Schafer
Hunter Schafer attended “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” Los Angeles premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Nov. 13 wearing a crystal-covered Alexander McQueen cutout gown from the brand’s pre-fall 2023 collection. The metallic-colored dress featured several cutouts along Shafer’s left and right sides.
Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh attended the “Oppenheimer” premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on July 13 wearing a rust orange Valentino cutout dress from the brand’s fall 2023 couture collection. The gown was designed with two large cutouts placed on either side, separating the halter bodice from its corresponding circle skirt.
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens attended the 2023 Met Gala in New York City on May 1 wearing a custom color-blocked cutout dress by Michael Kors Collection. Hudgens’ gown was adorned with 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 in a gold mock-neck cutout dress by Alexander McQueen. The gown featured several small slit-style cutouts along the sides, which mimicked the triangular shapes found throughout the rest of the dress’ design.
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried attended the 28th annual Critics’ Choice Awards at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Jan. 15 in a metallic gold Christian Dior cutout gown from the brand’s spring 2020 couture collection. The dress’ bodice and skirt were connected with a front center knot, creating two large cutouts between the panels of fabric.
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde attended the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” in New York City on May 1 while wearing a custom cutout dress by Chloé, inspired by Lagerfeld’s 1983 violin dress. Wilde’s gown featured 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 during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 20 wearing a cherry-red Valentino cutout gown from the brand’s spring 2023 haute couture collection. The dress featured large geometric cutouts that spread over Campbell’s entire bodice.
