The naked dress trend has emerged again, this time thanks to Margot Robbie.

The "Barbie" actress attended the European premiere of her new movie "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey" in London on Thursday, Sept. 11, in a floor-length Armani Prive gown. The statement-making backless dress was embellished with elaborate beadwork and a decorative clasp at her upper back, while also revealing her backside.

The glamorous look is more daring than Robbie's usual red carpet choices, but stands out as a striking entry in the naked dress trend. She complemented the look with pinned-up hair and minimal accessories. USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Robbie about the look.

Fashion and sociology experts previously told USA TODAY the so-called "naked dress" trend, which has cropped up on red carpets recently, is complex and that context matters when interpreting the significance of any bold look. Ultimately, they said, the trend has potential to speak to agency, power and where fashion may be headed in the future.

Margot Robbie and why naked dresses are complicated

Nudity is a fraught topic, and it often means different things to different people. To some, it's a symbol of sexual empowerment and liberation. To others, a symbol of degradation and objectification.

Fashion and sociology experts say that, when examining the significance of any bold fashion statement such as Robbie's, context plays an important role.

That's because nudity can take on drastically different meanings. For instance, remember when Rose McGowan wore a see-through dress to the MTV Video Music Awards in 1998? One of the first major advocates of the Hollywood #MeToo movement, McGowan said she went with the nearly naked look to reclaim a sense of agency over her body after she was assaulted by disgraced film producer, and now-convicted sex offender, Harvey Weinstein.

“It was my first big public appearance after being sexually assaulted," she told Yahoo! Entertainment years later. "It was like at the end of 'Gladiator' when he comes out and he's like, ‘Are you not entertained?’ And if you look at me, I did it with power. I didn't do it with my hand on my hip to be sexy."

She got a lot of flak for it at the time, but McGowan said her critics missed the point. Some of her supporters have too: "Most of the women that have done homages or dressed kind of like that on the red carpet, it's a calculated, sexy move to turn people on. Mine was like, 'I’m gonna (mess) with your brain.'"

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This, however, was quite a different context from when Bianca Censori stepped out in a see-through dress at the Grammys earlier this year with her husband Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.

"Censori’s naked dress shifted attention toward her body and away from West’s identity as someone with a history of odious, hate-filled comments and behavior," Leora Tanenbaum, author of the book "Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up for Yourself in Today's Toxic, Sexist Culture," told USA TODAY at the time. "Diverting attention from his behavior while showcasing his identity as an alpha male with a sexy wife serves only his advantage."

The 'naked dress' trend and what it means for fashion's future

If you're sick of seeing nude or nearly nude looks at major fashion events, naked dresses may have one silver lining for you: That nudity for nudity's sake could be on its way out.

For decades, it seems clothing in American pop culture has grown more and more revealing − to the point where the last thing left to do that's shocking is appear naked.

With nowhere left to turn, fashion might finally need to find a new trend, something Lorynn Divita, a professor of apparel design and merchandising and the author of the book "Fashion Forecasting," called "the pendulum of fashion." She previously told USA TODAY it's one of the only things you can count on in an otherwise fickle and unpredictable industry − that, once a trend gets exhausted, it means its opposite is probably on the horizon.

For example, she said, look no further than skinny jeans: They kept getting skinner and skinner until, seemingly all of a sudden, flared and baggy pants were back in. Will the same happen with nudity?

"The only thing you can count on in fashion is that what goes up must come down," Divita said. "Eventually, people will get tired and the cycle will change."

Contributing: Taijuan Moorman

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Margot Robbie and why the 'naked dress' trend is so controversial

Reporting by Charles Trepany, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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