The Met Gala is no stranger to nearly naked looks (Cher's groundbreaking feathery 'fit from 1974, anyone?), but near nudity has proved an increasingly popular choice this year - with Rita Ora's sheer bodysuit in particular taking social media by storm.
The British singer, 33, arrived at the annual fundraising gala in an eye-catching Marni look that consisted of sheer shapewear and cascading strings of colourful beads, which were draped over her shoulders to provide some coverage.
Ora's husband, New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi, also opted for Marni, appearing alongside his wife in an all-brown leather ensemble complete with matching gloves, shoes and tie.
The dress code for Monday night's gala was 'The Garden of Time', a reference to the 1962 short sci-fi story of the same name by British author JG Ballard. Unlike in previous years, the dress code diverted somewhat from the annual exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute, which for 2024, is titled 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion'.
But the barely-there bodysuit wasn't the only point of intrigue in Ora's outfit; according to the singer, the beads are an ancient relic dating back thousands of years, likely a nod to the historical theme of this year's exhibit. The 'Sleeping Beauties' showcase will feature roughly 250 archival garments spanning 400 years, each of which have been drawn from the Costume Institute's permanent collection. As many are too fragile to be worn, the exhibit instead breathes new life into the historical pieces by utilising tools such as AI, CGI, video animation, light projection and sound-scaping.
As the couple made their way up the Met's iconic staircase, Ora stopped to share the inspiration behind the love-it-or-hate-it look, telling Entertainment Tonight it was designed to celebrate "the beauty of the body and women's existence and presence".
"[It's about] not doing as much but also doing a lot, you see what I mean? And these beads are from actually second century BC," she went on.
Speaking to reporters, she said the beads originated from Europe and Northern Africa and claimed some were even as old as the first century - making the piece "older than anyone on this planet", she added. Yes, that does seem likely.
Not everyone on social media was enthused by Ora's look, however, with one X user jokingly comparing her beaded cover-up to the colourful string curtains one might find at a child's birthday party.
Other roasts included, "Rita Ora with an incredible archival pull this evening: the beaded curtain from my freshman year college dorm" and, "Rita Ora is dressed as what hippy drug dealers walk through and say some shit like 'welcome to my humble abode'."
Although Ora's beaded bodysuit wasn't a hit with everyone, Waititi's leather look was seemingly received more favourably, with several noting it likely referenced tree bark in a nod to the botanical dress code.
There were plenty of other near-naked looks to be seen at the Met on Monday night, with the likes of Emily Ratajkowski, Doja Cat, Janelle Monáe, FKA Twigs, Greta Lee, Elle Fanning and co-chair Jennifer Lopez also bearing all in the name of fashion.
