24 Years Ago, Halle Berry Pioneered The “Naked Dress” On The Red Carpet

Pierce Brosnan may have played the titular James Bond in the popular spy film franchise from 1995 to 2002, but at the Los Angeles premiere of his final 007 movie, all eyes were on Halle Berry and her scene-stealing “naked dress.”

Halle’s Bedazzled Mini

So many of Hollywood’s finest have recently cosigned the risqué style, including Jennifer Lawrence, Dakota Johnson, and Jenna Ortega. Despite its current ubiquity, the “naked dress” has a surprisingly long history that dates all the way back to the 1920s, with Berry entering the fold in the ‘90s.

At the 2002 premiere for Die Another Die, in which Berry played Bond girl Jinx, she walked the carpet wearing a minidress from Australian designer Collette Dinnigan. It featured spaghetti straps, a low scoop neckline, and lots of sparkly embroidery. Silver sequins swirled into roses all over the dress while rhinestone-encrusted fringe lined the asymmetrical hem.

The most headline-making design detail was its sheer skin-matching fabric. Unlike today’s climate, where bodily autonomy via daring looks is celebrated, red carpets were a lot more conservative back then. This see-through moment, however, helped Berry further cement her status as a style vanguard. (Prior to this, she rocked other adventurous styles, including whale tails at awards shows and bikini tops at movie premieres.)

The glitzy moment left a mark on Berry. According to the dress’ designer in an interview with Daily Mail Australia, the X-Men star sent her a card after the event. It read: “Thank you, you made me step out of my comfort zone.”

It also fueled the actor’s love affair with the “naked dress,” a style she’s regularly returned to for over two decades, including at the 2025 Met Gala.

Her Low-Key Glam

With a dress so high-octane, Berry kept her beauty look on the more toned-down side. She went with barely-there makeup and a swipe of lip gloss, which paired perfectly with her signature piecey textured pixie.

For extra glitz, she went for diamond touches with earrings and a single diamond pendant on a dainty chain. To complete the look, the Catwoman star slipped on strappy metallic silver heels for a coordinated ensemble.