Kim Kardashian Was Unrecognizable In Strange Outfit At The 2025 Academy Museum Gala

When it comes to fashion, Kim Kardashian demands to be noticed — even if you can't see her face. At the 2025 Academy Museum Gala on Saturday, October 18, Kardashian wore a flowing, body-hugging gown by Maison Margiela in a creamy tan color, but the slimming outfit strayed far from what the world is used to seeing from her. She made the odd, eccentric choice to cover her face entirely with fabric that matched the dress' material.

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The masked model appeared less like a celebrity and more like a statue in her headpiece. It also naturally meant that the "All's Fair" actor needed a guide to help her walk the carpet. It begs the question: Why didn't she opt for a sheerer fabric that would have worked as a veil? The fact that no one could see Kardashian's features through the mask made the entire outfit look heavy rather than avant-garde. This may just be one of those red carpet outfits that celebs later admit they regret.

To hold together the fabric that obscured her face, Kardashian wore a layered choker necklace with sparkling jewels. Surprisingly, Kardashian was in full hair and makeup underneath the mask, which made sense later when she ditched the coverup after walking the red carpet. Then, she was able to show off her long, dark hair, which cascaded down her back inside the event.

Kim Kardashian may have obscured her face at the Academy Museum Gala, but she made her presence known with a body-hugging silhouette that showed off her famous figure. The construction of the Maison Margiela dress was imaginative and interesting, with the strapless dress being corseted and appearing to be padded on the sides of the bodice. Kardashian's forearms were also draped in wide sleeves that connected to the bottom hem of the dress, and she wore them well without giving the illusion that the fabric was weighing her down. This gave the gown a lot of movement and dimension by illuminating an alluring "W" shape around Kardashian's frame. 

The lower half of the dress made a bold statement that was also tasteful. Dramatic hips were the trendiest silhouette in fall 2023 and have continued to be a powerful sartorial move, so the look would've made enough of an impression on the red carpet without the addition of the face mask, which made the outfit feel unbalanced and unserious. 

Fashion fans know that this wasn't her first wearing something so intriguing, either. To the 2021 Met Gala, Kardashian wore an all-black look that included a head covering and trailing fabric behind her. The outfit caused quite the stir at the time, but it didn't stop her from trying something similar four years later.

Kim Kardashian has worn questionable outfits to the Academy Museum Gala more than once. A year prior to her wearing the confusing face-covering look, Kardashian was one of the worst-dressed stars at the 2024 Academy Museum Gala. She turned heads for the wrong reasons when she wore a strapless corseted bodysuit by Mugler. When looking at the garment from the front, the bodysuit appeared to be disproportionate. Moreover, the cape that covered her could've easily been a style success, but it looked sloppy because she draped it on only one shoulder. 

Kardashian would've made more of a statement if she'd shown off the cape's hood, but without using the cape to its full potential, she looked like a fashion novice who made a rookie mistake. She was smart to keep her hair classic with bouncy curls, but it's too bad that her shoes and accessories were lackluster and made no impact on the overall outfit.