This season’s sexiest look comes with strings attached.
Celebrities like Olivia Culpo, Julia Fox and Jennifer Lopez are embracing all things strappy and sexy for summer, stepping out in skin-baring styles held together with what basically amounts to high-fashion dental floss.
A sultry step beyond the extreme cutouts and exposed thongs that have become de rigueur over the past couple of years, this tied-up trend can be traced back to designer Nensi Dojaka, who’s been dressing stars like Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa and Zendaya in her signature flossy fashions since the summer of 2020.
Other brands pushing the flashy fad forward include Christopher Esber, Supriya Lele — and perhaps most of all, Mônot, the house behind Kendall Jenner’s internet-breaking wedding guest dress.
The Lebanese label’s designer, Eli Mizrahi — who once told Vogue he makes clothes for “bad girls” — has outfitted everyone from Kate Hudson to Charli D’Amelio in his daring designs, and recently dressed no fewer than a dozen different celebs for May’s amfAR Gala in Cannes.
And while the “midriff flossing” trend has been stringing us along on Instagram since last summer — largely led by Emily Ratajkowski, whose Inamorata brand specializes in risqué wraparound bikinis — there are now more ways to wear it (and bare it) than ever before.
You could follow Rita Ora and Rihanna’s lead with a lace-up look; Dundas’ popular “Nirvana” dress, which has popped up on Heidi Klum, Hailey Bieber and Ciara, features crisscrossing cords that leave little to the imagination.
Or perhaps you’d prefer a twisty bra-and-skirt set from Jennifer Lopez favorite Grace Ling, whose curve-skimming creations are like G-strings for your entire body.
And for those looking to try the trend without showing quite as much skin, why not give spaghetti straps a fresh spin with a string-detailed LBD? Dojaka’s and Mônot’s versions may cost four figures, but affordable versions abound from brands including Mango, Urban Outfitters and Asos.
It may not clean your teeth, but this celeb-loved look will certainly freshen up your closet.
Shop the trend:
Mango Ruffled Wrap Dress ($120)
Nensi Dojaka Strap-Detail Asymmetrical Minidress ($1,097)
Rare London Ruched Dress With Cami Straps ($109)
Reformation Aria Top ($128)
Christopher Esber Silk Bias-Cut Loophole Tie Skirt ($640)
Pixie Market Sasha Silky Keyhole Dress ($159)
Urban Outfitters Katara Strappy Cutout Dress ($89)
Mônot Cutout Crepe Halterneck Dress ($1,585)
Jacquemus White T-Shirt ($210)
Frankies Bikinis Gemma Wrap One-Piece Swimsuit ($180)
