Saint Laurent unveils 'nip slip' dress – a glittery mono-boob outfit for the brave

The French brand’s new designer Anthony Vaccarello took on #FreeTheNipple and smothered it in sparkles, writes Sarah Young

Autumn/winter's shimmering beauty trend has been one-upped; Enter the glitter nipple. (AFP/Getty Images)

Saint Laurent's new designer Anthony Vaccarello unveiled his new collection at Paris Fashion Week - but it was a singular glitter-adorned nip-slip that got everyone talking.

He one-upped the autumn/winter fashion trend for glittering clothes and accessories by featuring a model with her left breast exposed and her nipple covered in heart-shaped glitter.

For his spring/summer 2017 debut for the French house, Anthony Vaccarello took on full-frontal fashion with a collection teeming in sheer tops worn sans bra, and while many models sauntered down the Saint Laurent runway with their nipples on full display it was the glitter-covered nipple that made headlines.

Model Binx Walton wears a strapless, leather dress with an asymmetric fold that left her breast exposed

Model Binx Walton wore a strapless leather dress with an asymmetric fold that left her breast exposed - but rather than leaving it for the world to gawk over the designer opted to continue his adulation for all things sparkly with the addition of a glistening, heart-shaped pasty.

While other models sauntered down the runway with their nipples on full display it was a singular glitter adorned nip-slip that made headlines (Getty Images)

The divisive subject has been in the spotlight since 2014 with the release of a film called “Free The Nipple”, and a host of celebs fighting social media websites for taking down photos of them posing topless.

Earlier this year a residents association went as far as to sue the Colorado city of Fort Collins to allow bare breasts in public, saying that women should be able to show their breasts and nipples just as men do, without fear of arrest or prosecution.

The intention and inspiration behind the mono-boob dress is up for debate – perhaps it was an ode to Lil Kim’s 1999 VMA nipple cover – but what is certain is that Saint Laurent’s glittering nipple has made a case for a new era in the #freethenipple saga.