When Cardi B stepped out of the Mark Hotel last night, to head to the Met Gala, wearing a pink bejeweled prom dress with a giant tulle back plate, I was disappointed. 

 

It felt too reminiscent of things she’s worn before, like her red Thierry Mugler look from 2021 or her 2019 Grammys look. But then she showed up on the carpet in a completely different look that was one of the best of the night. 

 

It was feminine interpretation on Karl Lagerfeld’s signature black suit and black tie. She even wore a silver wig in tribute to his iconic hair. And with that hair, those opera gloves, along with the headband, those pearl earrings and that structured ball gown, Cardi was in character from the minute she stepped onto that carpet, posing how she imagines a classy lady of yesteryear would, with a Toddlers and Tiaras permasmile the whole time. I know her mouth was sore once she got inside. 

 

The gown is a work of art, mixing the iconic Chanel camellias with a quilting technique that’s signature to the designer. His name is Chen Peng and he’s based in China. He launched his label in 2016 and Cardi actually reached out to him to design a look for this year’s Gala. According to the brand, she said having been three times before, she “wanted to seek out new forces in fashion.” And they made magic. It’s not like she hasn’t turned great looks for the Met in the past, but by looking outside the usual pot of haute couture fashion houses, she ended up with something that brought a completely different energy than anyone else, while staying on theme and beautifully paying tribute to Lagerfeld. This is among Cardi’s best red carpet looks of all time. 

 

And she wasn’t the only star going grey. Lagerfeld muse Cara Delevigne rocked a silver wig as she too interpreted one of his uniforms. In a look designed by Karl himself, his signature high collared white shirt was turned into a minidress with a plunging neckline and exaggerated sleeves. She worked those sleeves up and down that carpet. Cara went even more Karl with fingerless black gloss and black sunglasses and I wouldn’t be mad if Cara keep this hairstyle for a while.