Meghan Markle’s Cutout Dress With a Front Slit Signals a New Style Era

Meghan Markle stunned in a gold strapless cutout dress at the 2023 Women of Vision Awards, hosted by the Ms. Foundation For Women in New York City on May 16. The Duchess of Sussex made a bold fashion statement as she accepted the honor, presented to her by close friend Gloria Steinem. And in doing so, she reminded everyone of what a true style icon she is.

The metallic gold midi dress by Johanna Ortiz was a decidedly more sultry style than we’ve seen from Markle for quite a while. The formfitting strapless dress was textured with scale embossing and included a small diamond-shaped keyhole cutout and a center leg slit. She coordinated her accessories by adding Tom Ford gold sandals, a gold Carolina Herrera box clutch bag, J.Crew jeweled hoop earrings, and a stack of bangles on one arm. Markle’s hair was flawlessly styled to give voluminous Hollywood waves and swept over one shoulder, while her makeup was glowing in golden tones to match her outfit.

She was joined by her husband, Prince Harry, in a midnight-blue suit, a white shirt, and a blue patterned tie, as well as her mother, Doria, who attended wearing a black pleated minidress and slingback heels.

In April, the Ms. Foundation For Women announced that Markle was a 2023 Women of Vision honoree for “her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls.” As she accepted the accolade, she said: “It’s just never too late to start. You can be the visionary of your own life.”

Markle’s transition back to her pre-royal style has been evident as of late. Since stepping back as a working royal, she has had a little more freedom with her wardrobe and has recently shown that she’s leaning into this new chapter via her clothes. At an April 24 Los Angeles Lakers basketball game with Harry, she wore a salmon-pink set made up of an oversize blazer and high-waisted shorts, with a white tee and Aquazzura heels; a look reminiscent of her pre-royal celebrity status.

While she didn’t attend King George’s coronation on May 6 due to clashes with her son Archie’s birthday, Harry made a whistle-stop appearance before heading back to his home in Montecito, CA. A few days later, they enjoyed a date night together to see Markle accept the Women of Vision honor. Ahead, see all angles of Markle’s gold-star fashion moment.

Related: Meghan Markle’s Courtside Blazer Set Reminds Us of Her Pre-Royal Style