Cardi B is going gray … for the Met Gala, that is! The rapper revisited her icy silver shade from 2021 for the 2023 Gala and even shared that the color was “giving Karl.” But the gray hair was a sharp contrast from her previous look, because yes, she wore two extremely different ensembles for the evening.
For her first look, Cardi left her hotel in a strapless pink gown with an enormous tulle showgirl-style mermaid shell capelet. Her hair was a super shiny, deep auburn red and pulled back in a sleek low knot to better show off the tulle with a jeweled band drizzled across her part, ending in a pearl dangling over her forehead. Pink blush with lots of highlighter and a dramatic swoop of liner and lashes finished off the glam pre-show look. Cardi’s go-to makeup artist, Erika La’Pearl, prepped the star’s skin with Murad products to help get her glowing.
But that look didn’t last long, because on the carpet, Cardi channeled Chanel in her black and white ensemble — a complete 180 from the previous look. It was the silver hair that really caught our eye, though the shirtdress with a huge ball skirt was pretty fun too. The pale, cool silver hair was voluminous with a retro, ’60s-style pouf at the crown of her head, then cascaded down her back in a long, luxurious flow before ending with swingy volume. Another section was pulled in front to serve as a thick side bang that brushed her brow, and a black headband kept the look in place — one of the biggest accessory trends of the night, with fellow attendees like Emma Chamberlain also opting for a classic band.
Cardi told interviewers that her second look was partially inspired by Karl Lagerfeld himself; the short-sleeved shirtdress with a tie was definitely a Lagerfeld shoutout. “Up top here, it’s giving Karl,” Cardi explained, though she could have been talking about the hair, the shirt or both. Because of the quick change transformation from hotel to red carpet, Cardi’s makeup didn’t change, just her hair. A subtle cat eye flick thanks to the liner and lashes gave the shirtdress-gown a mod vibe, as did the voluminous style and the adorable headband. The star finished off her main event look with opera gloves and enormous dangling pearl earrings.