Bianca Censori sparks controversy with sheer dress at Grammys

Kanye West’s wife stuns in bold minimalist fashion, igniting debate over decency standards.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on February 2, 2025. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

By Adila Ghina

Bianca Censori, the wife of rapper and designer Kanye West, made headlines at the 2025 Grammy Awards with a daring red carpet look that blurred the line between high fashion and controversy. Known for her provocative style, Censori arrived at the event wrapped in a long shaggy coat. However, once she stepped onto the red carpet alongside West, she shed the outerwear to reveal a completely sheer minidress that left little to the imagination.

The transparent dress appeared to expose her breasts and genitalia, prompting an immediate reaction from social media users and fashion critics. While some praised the look as a bold expression of minimalist fashion, others questioned whether it crossed the boundary of public decency laws.

Bianca Censori’s history of provocative fashion

Since publicly linking with Kanye West, Censori has become a fixture in avant-garde fashion, frequently pushing sartorial boundaries. The Australian, who previously worked in architecture and interior design in Melbourne, has embraced increasingly revealing outfits in recent years.

In 2023, she made headlines in Florence, Italy, after being spotted walking the streets in sheer tights while holding a purple pillow over her chest. Other signature looks have included opaque bodystockings in shades like champagne, gray, and cardinal red—though none as sheer as the outfit she wore to the Grammys.

Her fashion choices often spark discussions about artistic expression versus public propriety, with Sunday’s look being her most divisive yet.

A history of revealing outfits at award shows

Censori’s Grammy look joins a long tradition of eye-catching, boundary-pushing outfits at high-profile award shows. Over the years, celebrities have used red carpet moments to make bold fashion statements, sometimes sparking widespread debates.

• At the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, Lil’ Kim wore a lilac jumpsuit that covered only one breast, with a matching pasty completing the look.
• In 1998, actress Rose McGowan attended the same event wearing a barely-there dress made of strings, exposing her buttocks.
• In 1988, Cher stunned audiences at the Academy Awards in a sheer, heavily embellished Bob Mackie gown, which was considered shocking at the time.

While fashion has evolved, and red carpet looks have become more daring, Censori’s outfit took the minimalist trend to an extreme that reignited conversations about the limits of personal expression at public events.

Legal and public reactions to Censori’s outfit

Beyond fashion critiques, Censori’s outfit also raised questions about legal boundaries. Social media users speculated whether her look could be considered indecent exposure under California law.

When contacted by The New York Times, a media relations officer for the Los Angeles Police Department referenced California Penal Code, which defines indecent exposure as “the willful exposure of one’s genitals in a public place or in the presence of another person.” However, the officer clarified that such exposure must be done with the intent “to offend or sexually arouse” for it to be considered a criminal act.

While Censori’s intentions remain subjective, the legal gray area only added to the ongoing debate over her Grammys appearance.

Kanye West’s contrasting attire and the double standard debate

Adding another layer to the discourse, Kanye West’s outfit stood in stark contrast to his wife’s. While Censori embraced extreme minimalism, West opted for an understated look, wearing a black T-shirt, matching pants, and sunglasses.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on February 2, 2025. Photo by Jon Kopaloff/WireImage

The juxtaposition fueled discussions about gendered fashion expectations, with some critics pointing out the recurring pattern of women facing scrutiny for their revealing choices while men remain fully clothed. The debate extends beyond fashion, touching on broader conversations about agency, societal norms, and the evolving role of personal expression in celebrity culture.

The future of red carpet fashion

Bianca Censori’s Grammys look serves as yet another example of the shifting landscape of red carpet fashion. As boundaries continue to be tested, the conversation surrounding artistic freedom, public decency, and self-expression is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

While some celebrate these moments as acts of defiance against traditional norms, others see them as a reflection of fashion’s ever-growing need to shock and push limits. Regardless of opinion, Censori’s outfit ensured she remained one of the most talked-about figures of the night, proving once again that fashion—controversial or not—remains a powerful force in pop culture.