Have we finally hit peak nudity on the red carpet?

Just when we thought it was safe to look at an arrivals rug without copping an eyeful of mons pubis, butt cleavage and side-boob, the Venice Film Festival happened.

Naked is the new black, again. But is there more to this flesh baring trend than meets the eye?

Let's face it, if a star isn't wearing a fussy, over-the-top ensemble and metres of fabric, interviewers are forced to #AskHerMore.

While Dakota Fanning, in mermaid-esque Miu Miu sequins, and Naomi Watts in floral Fendi and "Venice is sinking" appropriate thigh high boots by Tabitha Simmons, were fashion highlights of the festival, the sheer nakedness of some attendees stole the show.

The 2016 program may have served as Mel Gibson's comeback - he received a 10-minute standing ovation for Hacksaw Ridge - but the vulva also returned with a vengeance thanks to a pair of local models, Giulia Salemi and Dayane Mello.

Media outlets around the world suggested they "forgot their underwear" or suffered "embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions" as they appeared to be dressed by Eve Ensler of Vagina Monologues fame for the premiere of a new HBO series, The Young Pope, which delves into the bickering and backstabbing world of the Catholic Church.

By forgoing underwear and tape to guard against a stiff sea breeze, Salemi and Mello are either red carpet novices or mavericks who punked the world's media Sacha Baron Cohen-style.

Whether it was a fashion statement or just guerilla marketing for laser hair removal, this most recent full frontal display of bikini lines highlights how the "naked" trend is making things more interesting on the red carpet and the way the female form is represented.

Instagram has banned the nipple and Facebook regularly removes images of breastfeeding mothers and cancer survivors, so is the red carpet one of the last safe spaces for uninhibited creative expression?