With a Catholic theme at this year's Met Gala the majority of stars opted for a heavenly look.
But Miley Cyrus chose the other side of the dualistic spectrum with a sinfully tantalizing black gown on Monday night at the annual bash, themed this year as Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.
The 25-year-old, who made an adamant transition from Disney princess to edgy pop queen in 2013 at the VMAs, accidentally flashed her derriere in her backless dress as she arrived at the elite event.
Miley opted to go sans bra in a very plunging black gown by Stella McCartney that exposed not only some of her tattoos but generous glimpses of flesh.
The blonde celebrity's take on the gala's theme, while simple and understated, proved to be a bold choice and made a subtle nod to the conflicting emotions underlying Catholicism.
While wearing a risque black dress to the bash she added religious symbols in the shape of jewelry.
Gold crosses adorned her ears and another cross hung from her neck, perhaps in acknowledgement of the Christian doctrine that we are all sinners seeking redemption and atonement.
While Jared Leto went as Jesus and Rihanna arrived dressed as the Pope, Miley may have had a more human take on the whole affair and presented herself as a normal Catholic struggling with vice but still longing for holiness.
While divinity may have been the most common interpretation of the theme, Miley took on a much more prevalent reality: Catholic guilt.
The complexity present in her fashion statement seems quite in tune with her struggle to break free of her childhood image as an American sweetheart and her drive to create something more meaningful through her current music.
The annual gala is always tied to an exhibit at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This year it examined 'fashion's ongoing engagement with the devotional practices and traditions of Catholicism.'
The exhibition combines works of fashion with works of religious art, including 50 ecclesiastical masterworks on loan from the Sistine Chapel sacristy at the Vatican.
Flaunting it! Right before she arrived the star populated her Instagram with shots of her dress for the night
Wow: Miley's slinky attire captured the attention of the crowds as she made her way in
Those items, which will be on view in the Anna Wintour Costume Center galleries, include papal vestments and accessories, such as rings and tiaras, from the 18th to the early 21st century, the museum said. The items encompass more than 15 papacies.
'Fashion and religion have long been intertwined, mutually inspiring and informing one another,' Andrew Bolton, head curator of the institute, said in a statement.
'Although this relationship has been complex and sometimes contested, it has produced some of the most inventive and innovative creations in the history of fashion.'
The 150 fashion ensembles come from a slew of designers, including Cristobal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Givenchy, Christian Lacroix, Thierry Mugler, Raf Simons, Thom Browne and Gianni and Donatella Versace, among many others.
The exhibition, which will run May 10 through October 8, is a collaboration between the Costume Institute and the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters.
