Anita Rani is becoming quite the fashion icon, and this archive red Alexander McQueen dress is the latest look that we can't stop talking about. Snapped on the red carpet for the Pride of Britain Awards, Rani looked directional and elegant in a flattering ruched silhouette that is worth noting for the upcoming party season.
While a little black dress might be considered the most classic party piece of them all. When it comes to festive dressing, a pop of red goes a long way, and as one of the biggest autumn/winter fashion colour trends 2025, red is not just seasonally appropriate, it's directional too.
Rani is a big fan of vintage fashion, and this archived piece from British clothing brand Alexander McQueen was an excellent choice for the mood-boosting occasion. Featuring a halterneck silhouette and a ruched middle, the dress used clever fabric manipulation techniques to skim and sculpt the star's curves, gently gliding over her silhouette, while still giving a shapely finish.
Here's the most flattering way to wear slinky dresses this season
If you're looking for how to wear a slinky dress this season, Anita Rani just delivered the most flattering example. The sensational designer dress, in bold red, used chic ruche detailing to glide over Rani's curves, and give us a masterclass in how to skim and sculpt our shape for the party season.
The gathered detailing across the midriff and gathering into the centre of the dress, helped to draw the eye in and down, lengthening Rani's silhouette and sculpting her curves at the same time.
With the added benefit of rich texture and a luxe look, this is a brilliant detail to look out for on the high street, as the puckering across middles, hips and thighs offers a seriously flattering and supportive finish.
Get the look
This dress uses the same fabric technique to create a truly curve-loving finish. The side gathering, to a central point gently skims across the tummy, while the downward drape draws the eye down the body adding instant height to your frame.
Using a similar midriff-draped technique, this Me+Em dress will fit and flatter your silhouette with ease. The asymmetric neckline helps to draw the eye up the body, as well as adding plenty of interest to the neckline. The fluted skirt will balance shoulders too.
If you want less drapery, but do still love a red dress, this Bardot maxi certainly packs a stylish punch. The wide, pleated neckline makes the focal point of the look your upper half, while the floor-grazing hem adds to its red carpet feel.
This slinky maxi dress features a fully ruched body for a figure sculpting fit that gently grazes your frame in the most flattering way. The singular statement shoulder design elevates this gown to new heights, I can't believe it costs less than £50.
James Lakeland knows how to do day to night glamour, and this draped dress looks elegant, without compromising on comfort, exactly what we want. The V-neckline flatters the bustline, while the self-tie fabric belt helps to contain and shape the draped detail.
Look closely and you'll see that Anita Rani is wearing 'mismatched earrings'. Her Boodles jewels might be out of our budget, but the concept of wearing a 'set' of earrings that don't match is not. We love this star and moon set for a dreamy finish.
Anita Rani's red gown might be from a high-end designer, but there are plenty of lessons we can take from the star's style. Ruching is a popular technique used for evening and party wear, and with the festive season upon us, this has never been more relevant.
Look for ruching that gently grazes across midriffs, hips and thighs for the most curve-loving finish. Drapery that comes to a point, particularly on an angle, can be the most flattering choice, as it narrows, creating a nipped-in silhouette.
And while you can implement this technique across tops and dresses, when it comes to the correct foundations, shapewear in this instance will only help to support and flatter your curves further, offering the sculpting fit to make that draped detail truly shine.
