Once upon a time, we saw Cardi B dominate the red carpet.
The "Bodak Yellow" singer is keeping it up with her spot-on fashion at the 2023 Met Gala on May 1, wearing a black velvet Chenpeng Studio dress embroidered with massive black roses. Underneath her gown, Cardi sported a white collared shirt and matching black neck tie. For the big night, the rapper accessorized her lavender grey hair with a velvet black headband and pearl earrings.
But that wasn't the only outfit Cardi showed off on May 1: She began the night at her hotel in a radiant pink ensemble—custom by Miss Sohee—before doing a quick change ahead of the red carpet.
The May 1 event holds the theme "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," which is in honor of late designer Karl Lagerfeld, who passed in 2019. (Click here to see all the stars arrive on the red carpet.)
Let it be known Cardi, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus, is no stranger to shining at the Met Gala.
Back in 2018, when she made her Met Gala debut while pregnant with her and Offset's daughter Kulture, Cardi wowed at the event in a pearl-encrusted ensemble by Moschino, which featured a matching headdress. The look was right on track with the theme, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination."
The following year, Cardi brought her A game again when she stepped out in a ruby red gown by Thom Browne. The ensemble featured a show-stopping train, feather shoulders... oh, and ruby nipples by Stefere Jewelry that cost $250,000 each.
Those two sparkling details were part of a larger goal for the look, as Cardi told Vogue at the time, "This reflects the woman's body. We really was trying to make sure that it looked very elegant, extravagant, but not to Halloween-ish."
It's safe to say they nailed it. But getting there was no small feat. Browne shared in an Instagram post that night, "The dress took 35 people and over 2,000 hours to create."
This masterpiece appeared to be worth every minute.
Then came 2022. Last year, Cardi wowed in another incredible look born from hours and hours of artistry: a gold-chain Versace gown.
According to Vogue, the look, which had her quite literally dripping in gold, took more than 1,300 hours and 20 different people to complete.
For the event, which paid homage to "Gilded Glamour," Cardi shined on the carpet (figuratively and literally) and told the outlet, "Gilded is gold. It's regal."
Keep reading to see some of Cardi B's best looks over the years.