The Most Daring Outfits At London's Vogue World 2023

It's Anna Wintour's world, and we're all just living in it — or at least we'd like to, because then we'd have a front-row seat at Vogue World: London 2023. That's right, after the success of 2022's Vogue World: New York, Vogue's iconic editor-in-chief took the party across the pond to launch London's fashion week with a spectacular, celebrity-studded event held at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on September 14. According to Vogue, multi-award-winning director Stephen Daldry was tapped to create a "theatrical celebration of the very best of British culture and fashion," and it seems he didn't disappoint. The evening was much more than just couture-clad clotheshorses strutting down catwalks. It was a unique fashion experience that included performances from some of the top names in the music, theatre, and film industries. A feast for the senses, Vogue World: London celebrated the fashion-forward while honoring the past, closing out the show with the fab four OG supermodels, Linda, Christy, Cindy, and Naomi (no last names required), walking the runway accompanied by live vocals from Annie Lennox. 

The night was filled with fun, fantasy, and plenty of cutting-edge fashion both on and off the stage. Celebrities turned up and turned out in designer creations that ranged from elegant to eyebrow-raising. Bellies were bared, pants were optional, and gender lines were blurry as guests embraced the vibe of fashion's biggest night. Here are a few of the most daring outfits that will be talked about for years to come.

Not one to let a little thing like pregnancy slow her down, Sienna Miller proudly showed off her baby bump in a white cropped shirt and giant pouffy skirt by Schiaparelli couture. Miller, who is expecting her second child (her first with her model beau Oli Green), typically eschews over-the-top fashions in favor of a more laid-back, bohemian style. But with this white confection, she appears to be joining a growing number of women who are redefining society's expectations of expectant mothers. Daniel Roseberry, creative director at Schiaparelli, says more power to them. "Another antiquated 'rule' to consider, question, and in this case, disregard entirely," he told Vogue. "Her choice is our honor. Nothing but our love and congratulations to Sienna and her little one in the making."

Besides her glowing belly — which looked reminiscent of an egg resting on a nest — the only other accessory the "Anatomy of a Scandal" star rocked was a pair of statement earrings that dangled to her shoulders. Harry Lambert was the stylist behind Miller's look, and he had great expectations for how it would be received. "I'm super proud of and excited for this one," Lambert told the outlet that night. "It deserves to make headlines!" Mission accomplished.

Royal Ballet Principal Francesca Hayward looked on pointe stepping out in a white crocheted dress from The Row (even if it did bring to mind the scene from "Reality Bites" where Ethan Hawke tells Wynona Rider that she looks like "a doily"). Doily comparisons aside, this dress was in keeping with the other sheer and barely there looks of the evening. With its high neck and long skirt, it appeared at first glance to be on the demure side, especially when paired with the dancer's short white gloves. However, closer inspection revealed something a little more racy, with plenty of skin visible through the open weave design. 

The Row was launched in 2006 by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen and is typically characterized by minimalist style and timeless pieces. This dress maintains a little of the minimalistic style while maximizing the impact of the fabric. It's a sophisticated yet sexy look, which may explain why the tiny dancer, who stands at just 5 foot 1, chose it. In a 2021 interview with Harper's Bazaar, Hayward talked about the struggle of dressing for her petite frame and explained why she never wears pink unless she's on stage. "I don't want to look 'cute,' which is hard when you're small. You'd be surprised how many times I get trodden on walking down the street," she says. It looks like she was able to hold her ground on the red carpet beautifully. 

Normally it's Princesses Bea and Eugenia who turn heads in over-the-top headpieces, but although both attended Vogue World: London, neither wore a hat. Perhaps they knew they couldn't compete with "Bridgerton" fan-favorite, Nicola Coughlan, who turned up in a Harris Reed ensemble that included one of the British designer's infamous toppers. Vogue has called Reed "one of the capital's biggest fashion dreamers, who frequently fuses his off-kilter fabulous work with the theatrical." So there was no one better to design a red carpet look for an event that BAFTA and Olivier-winner Stephen Daldry (who worked with Vogue to orchestrate the evening) described as "a wonderful crucible of creative energy, fusing different art forms in a celebratory, witty and irreverent manner."  

Of course, not everyone can pull off the corseted velvet gown and stunning headpiece the designer created for Coghlan, but Reed was sure the firey redhead was up to the task. "What I love about Nicola and so many of the individuals I get to work with, like Ashley Graham and Precious Lee, is that they feel so confident within their skin and know how they want their body to feel," Harris said in an interview with Vogue, later adding, "Nicola owns who she is, she knows what she wants and she's fierce."

Yet another celebrity who RSVP'd "no" to pants was model Saffron Vadher, who instead opted for sparkly gold briefs and a black short-sleeved top courtesy of Miu Miu. With her dark hair slicked back and sheer black tights, she was serving off-duty dancer vibes ala "A Chorus Line." Vadher's own story, however, is more of a fairytale than a Broadway show. According to Elite Model Look, Vadher, who was diagnosed with leukemia as a child, basically walked into Elite's London agency on a whim and walked out with a successful modeling career that has included walking the runways for some of the world's biggest designers and appearing in countless magazines. 

Married to Derek Peth of "Bachelor in Paradise" fame, Vadher may look at home in couture and on catwalks, but her personal style is much more low-key. She told British Vogue, "When I'm at home, I wear tracksuits and jumpers. Even when I go out, my style is simple: jeans, shirts, nothing really spectacular." And if she hadn't become an internationally famous model? She told Harper's Bazaar, "I would have liked to work with children, so maybe I'd be teaching at a primary school." 

With her tulle skirt and waist-length veil, Maude Apatow might have been walking down the aisle at Westminster Abbey instead of the red carpet at Vogue World (though she's not even British). The "Euphoria" actress' "Princess Bride"-esque look was from luxury menswear Bode's spring 2024 womenswear line, a collection that Vogue called "one of the most highly anticipated launches of the year." Bridal theme aside, the skirt and bra were beautifully beaded in keeping with the attention to detail that makes up the Bode collection's timeless styles. To offset the unbridled (or bridal) feminity of her gown, Apatow wore her hair parted down the middle in a severe style and added a slash of crimson on her lips. The contrast gave the look a little more grit than a girly vibe. 

Apatow, who is the daughter of actress Leslie Mann, has been playing the role of Audrey in an off-Broadway Westside Theater production of "Little Shop of Horrors" while on break from filming "Euphoria." A long-time fan of the musical, she talked about landing her dream role in a Vogue interview earlier this year. "If younger me saw that I got to play Audrey in 'Little Shop of Horrors' one day, she would be losing her mind," Apatow said. "I can't stress enough how lucky and grateful I feel for this opportunity."