Cardi B's Met Gala reign: Her most iconic looks to date

• Theme: Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination 
• Designer: Moschino (Jeremy Scott)

Cardi's Met Gala debut was a divine intervention. Fresh off the high of releasing "Invasion of Privacy," Cardi hit the red carpet pregnant and powerful in a custom Moschino gown decked out in pearls, stones, and beaded glory. She looked like a bedazzled Virgin Madonna with an attitude, complete with an ornate bejeweled headpiece and a glorious train that gave papal realness meets hip-hop queen.

It was opulent. It was theatrical. It was fashion blessed by the holy ghost of drama.

• Theme: Camp: Notes on Fashion
• Designer: Thom Browne

Cardi B didn't just understand the assignment in 2019; she rewrote the rubric. Her wine-red Thom Browne masterpiece was more than a dress. It was a feat of engineering: nine feet of quilted silk organza, 30,000 feathers, and a train that required a team to carry it like a royal cape.

With a sculptural bodice that mimicked the curves of the female body and a crystal-covered headpiece, Cardi looked like a seductive high-fashion blood moon. It was avant-garde, absurdly extra, and totally camp. And yes, the internet lost its mind—rightly so.

• Theme: In America: An Anthology of Fashion – Gilded Glamour
• Designer: Versace

After skipping 2021 (we forgive you, Cardi), she came back ready to drip in gold, and not just gold vibes, but actual chains, links, and Medusa medallions, courtesy of Versace. This look was body-hugging, blindingly shiny, and full of gilded goddess energy.

She paired the look with matching gold cuffs, nails, and a sculpted bustier that screamed 1920s meets 2020s in the best way. Cardi embodied the excess and extravagance of the Gilded Age while still serving Y2K hip-hop edge. Please leave it to her to make fashion history feel like a flex.

• Theme: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty
• Designers: Chen Peng, Miss Sohee & Valentino 

Cardi B said, "one look? Please." She showed up with three. Each was a different take on Lagerfeld's legacy, done Cardi-style, of course.

Arrival look (Chen Peng): A structured pink and black tulle creation with exaggerated proportions, an homage to Karl's silhouettes with Cardi's twist.

Black tie meets ball gown, with a corseted bodice and a dramatic skirt filled with camellia flowers, Chanel's iconic motif. Add a white wig with a black headband, and voilà, she gave us Chanel cosplay with a Bronx bite.

She basically did Karl Lagerfeld fan fiction through fashion, and we were here for every scene change.

• Theme: Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion
• Designer: Windowsen (Sensen Lii)

Cardi B arrived in a voluminous black tulle gown designed by Sensen Lii of Windowsen, an emerging label known for its avant-garde creations. The off-the-shoulder silhouette featured mounds of tulle and a sweeping train, requiring a team to manage its dramatic presence on the green carpet.

Her beauty choices further enhanced the theme: a towering black headpiece reminiscent of a blooming rosebud, green-tinted eye makeup, and matching jade green nails, all contributing to a cohesive and striking appearance.

With this ensemble, Cardi B once again demonstrated her ability to blend high fashion with thematic storytelling, solidifying her status as a Met Gala icon.