Last year was Cardi B’s first Met Gala, and naturally she made it count. Cardi arrived at the divinely themed Gala in a gem-encrusted Moschino gown fit for a queen, showing off her baby bump in the process. After spending months concealing her pregnancy with belly-obscuring peplums and A-line skirts, Cardi opted for a look that accentuated her maternity curves—plunging neckline, bump-hugging waist, and a daring leg reveal.

This year, though, the singer went for something much more reserved. She showed up to the Met Gala red carpet completely covered up, head to toe, in an anatomically accurate, oxblood custom Thom Browne gown that extends outward in concentric circles for about ten feet. Made from tulle and silk organza and filled with down, the hand-embroidered dress is also decorated with 30,000 burned and dyed coque feathers. It took 35 people more than 2,000 hours to create, and it’s finished off with a bugle-bead headpiece that Browne made in collaboration with Stephen Jones.

Browne says he was inspired first and foremost by the female form. “I designed this dress for Cardi specifically because she has the ultimate beauty in a woman’s body, and that is what the dress is about for me: taking advantage of that beauty,” the designer says. In spite of its full coverage, the dress really does emphasize certain areas—there are yonic embellishments, a heart-shaped cutout on the backside, and 44-carat ruby nipples, custom-designed by Stefere Jewerly, which cost a whopping $250,000. Only Cardi could manage to show no skin yet still draw attention to every single body part.

See All of the Celebrity Looks From the Met Gala 2019 Red Carpet:





1 / 100 Chevron Chevron Photo: Getty Images Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell

Met Gala 2019: See Every Celebrity Arrival, Read the Latest Stories, and Get Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Here