So Nostalgic
9 Years Ago, Bella Hadid Wore 2 Plunging Dresses To The Grammys
Thus, her signature style was born.
No matter how chic style stars are, it’s rare for anyone to carve their signature look from the get-go. Even the biggest fashion icons tend to go through sartorial phases — some hits, some misses — and/or stylists before finding their aesthetic. Bella Hadid, however, is no ordinary fashionista.
Even in her teens, the supermodel had been serving looks since her modeling debut in 2014. Though stylish ensembles were expected on runways, where an entire team carefully curates the shows, off the runway is where she ultimately proved her styling prowess — particularly her Grammys appearance in 2016.
Bella’s Skin-Baring Moment
On Feb. 16, the Orebella founder attended music’s biggest night as the date of then-boyfriend The Weeknd, née Abel Tesfaye, whose Beauty Behind the Madness album bagged a nomination. As one does, she showed out to date night in a look so in line with her current spicy sensibilities, it practically foretold Hadid’s staying power in the industry.
Hadid turned heads in a shimmery Alexandre Vauthier gown that shimmered. Though it had long sleeves and a floor-grazing hem, the inky look was utterly skin-baring. It featured waist cutouts, a deep plunge, and a generous center slit barely covered by a draped wrap fabric.
To keep the rest of her look streamlined, she opted for simple strappy heels and wore her hair down in a sleek center part.
But That’s Not All...
That same night, the then-19-year-old slipped into another ensemble for the after-party. Though her hardware-accented dress was slightly edgier, with thigh-high leather boots, it featured the same spicy sensibility: that massive plunge.
She Made It Her Signature Style
Fashion historians could clock the fated night in 2016 as the night Hadid made the cleavage-baring dip her go-to. Sure, Hadid had worn plunging dresses to events prior, but they weren’t as deep. And more importantly, she didn’t wear them back to back. Her Grammys moment all but calcified her love for the cut.
In 2018, for example, after walking the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, she attended the after-party in a fully beaded, see-through creation that showed off her black underwear. Like her previous numbers, this halter gown also featured a low-cut neckline that drooped even lower than her 2016 ensembles.
She’d return to the look consistently in the years to come, but never as frequently as in 2024. In May, for example, she wore two plunging looks to the Cannes Film Festival, one of which went viral. Hadid wore a Saint Laurent number that was so sheer and stretchy, it was nicknamed the “pantyhose dress” by InStyle.
Days later, she wore a more opaque lattice-style creation from Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2005 collection. It similarly bore a low, low cut (and hip cutouts).
Months later, in August, she wore an even lower dip, fully baring her navel in a Christian Dior by John Galliano circa 2003 LBD for Orebella’s launch event.
She’s the plunging queen.
