Charli XCX Frees the Nipple in Gothic Sheer Lace and Leather Gown at Academy Museum Gala 2025

Charli XCX once again proved she’s pop’s reigning provocateur, serving a masterclass in gothic sensuality at the Academy Museum Gala 2025 in Los Angeles. The “360” singer made a dramatic entrance on October 18, wearing a plunging sheer black lace and leather gown that perfectly captured her rebellious yet refined fashion DNA.

The daring creation featured a see-through floral lace bodice, cut into a plunging sweetheart neckline that left little to the imagination. The intricate lace extended down to her mid-torso before transitioning into structured black leather, cinched with a bow belt that added a subtle coquette flourish. From there, the gown exploded into a voluminous leather bubble skirt, sculpted into a drop-waist silhouette with 360-degree pleating — part punk, part couture fantasy.

A diamond tennis necklace glimmered at her throat, offering a touch of old-Hollywood contrast to the outfit’s punk-rock edge. The look was a bold mix of lingerie-inspired transparency and fetish-adjacent leather detailing, perfectly in step with 2025’s ongoing “naked dressing” movement — but with Charli’s signature Brat-era irreverence.

Her beauty look leaned into dark romance: smudged black eyeliner, defined brows, and a matte nude lip. She wore her waist-length black curls loose and voluminous, giving off an undone yet cinematic energy.

The outfit marked another fearless red carpet moment for Charli, who has made sheer fashion her signature. Earlier this month, she went viral at Paris Fashion Week’s BoF500 Gala, where she “freed the nipple” again in a sheer white bridal mini dress with tulle sleeves and a boho-ruffled skirt — a softer take on her unapologetic aesthetic.

At the Academy Museum Gala, however, she elevated the trend into full-scale gothic couture. The result? A look that was equal parts vampire ball and avant-garde fashion editorial — and entirely, unmistakably, Charli XCX.