Cher returned to the Met Gala Monday night and reflected on the sheer Bob Mackie look that scandalized the event more than five decades ago. The Believe singer attended the annual fashion celebration in New York City for the first time in 10 years and paid tribute to her iconic 1974 Met Gala appearance with a new look inspired by the original “naked dress.”
Speaking with La La Anthony during Vogue’s livestream coverage, Cher joked about the reaction her revealing ensemble sparked at the time. “At the first Met Gala, I was naked, and so people were upset about it,” she said. “But now people wouldn’t even give it a thought.”
Cher laughed while recalling how daring the gown seemed in the early 1970s. “But I was real skinny so there was nothing really showing,” she added before joking, “Well, that’s not exactly true, but it wasn’t much!”
The original sheer Bob Mackie design became one of fashion’s most iconic celebrity looks and helped pave the way for the now-common “naked dress” trend embraced on red carpets today.
Despite the controversy surrounding the gown at the time, Cher said she enjoys seeing younger generations use fashion to express themselves. “I love to see people expressing themselves,” she said. “It gives me ideas and encouragement about the generations that are coming up.”
For this year’s gala, Cher wore a custom Burberry look designed by Daniel Lee alongside stylist Patti Wilson. The ensemble featured a black silk tulle dress paired with a leather corset and a crystal-embellished, cropped jacket.
Last year, legendary designer Bob Mackie reflected on the frenzy caused by Cher’s original Met Gala appearance. “The place went crazy,” Mackie told Interview. “I’ve never seen so many photographers just come out of the shadows at the Met and take her picture.”
He added that many attendees and critics at the time were horrified by the revealing look. “They thought, that’s not fashion, she’s just naked at the Metropolitan,” he recalled.
More than 50 years later, the look remains one of the most influential celebrity fashion moments in Met Gala history.
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