The Grammys, a music industry awards ceremony that occurs annually, generates an immense amount of media attention for both the awards that musicians and performers win and the outfits they appear in. This years’ 67th annual Grammys ceremony highlighted Doechii’s rise to fame, Kendrick Lamar’s successful diss track and many more artists’ successes. A controversial Grammys awarding “Best Country Album” to Beyoncé garnered public criticism, but overshadowing the awards entirely was the appearance of Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori.  

Censori entered with West on the red carpet in an oversized coat, which she shed soon after arrival. Underneath the coat was a mesh dress that exposed her nude body to the public and necessitated censored blurring on photos uploaded to the Internet. Staff escorted West and Censori out of the Grammys soon after posing for photos in front of reporters. 

People reacted strongly to this fashion statement, theorizing that Censori, who appeared uncomfortable, had been manipulated into wearing almost nothing by West, who was fully clothed in stark contrast. The inspiration for Censori’s outfit was reported to stem from West’s 2024 LP “Vultures 1” album cover, according to The Economic Times. 

Many referenced public indecency laws and took to social media in outrage. Celebrities have made many risqué and controversial fashion choices at the awards ceremony, yet none have resulted in expulsion from the Grammys. But was Censori’s outfit choice a bold fashion statement or a penalizable crime? 

Referencing Los Angeles law due to the location of the Grammys, the New York Times contacted the Los Angeles Police Department, who issued a statement claiming that public indecency is “the willful exposure of one’s genitals in a public place or in the presence of another person.” The media relations officer noted that any exposure must be done with the intention to offend or sexually arouse the public.  

Censori is known for her risqué looks, but this mesh dress has caused the most backlash. 

Because Censori deliberately concealed her outfit choice before arriving in front of cameras, it can be inferred that she knew it would cause a scene and shock viewers. The dress was see-through and exposed Censori’s body in public, both in-person and through digital streaming, and the Internet has deeply criticized both West and Censori for their red-carpet appearance.  

Hence, I argue that Censori did, in fact, commit a crime of public indecency. Though she was technically wearing a dress, the photograph of the dress against a wall posted on West’s Instagram account rendered the garment nearly invisible. Since the purpose of clothing is to clothe (oneself), I believe that though there was fabric on Censori’s body, it served no purpose and thus remains a show of public nudity.  

According to The Economic Times, no complaints have been made to the Los Angeles Police Department; thus, Censori will not face repercussions for her appearance. However, in my eyes and many eyes of the public, the viral mesh dress is the truest form of a fashion crime.