See How Cardi B’s Archival Mugler Made It From Paris to the Grammys Stage

As is typical of most fashion friendships these days, Kollin Carter’s partnership with Thierry Mugler was struck up on Instagram. Last November, the stylist direct messaged the notoriously elusive designer, who now prefers to be called Manfred Thierry Mugler, asking about the possibility of loaning archive pieces for Cardi B’s “Money” video. Mugler declined the opportunity at the time but told Carter that he would be happy to revisit the idea of working together in the near future. That moment came sooner than either of them could have anticipated when it was announced just a few weeks later, that the rap goddess was nominated for five Grammy Awards and would be performing at the show. Carter reached out to the designer once again, and in a flash, he was off to Paris to visit the archive.

The stylist had long been obsessed with Mugler’s Fall 1995 couture collection, originally shown on the 20th anniversary of the French fashion house. The monumental runway show was held inside the famed Cirque d’Hiver exhibition hall in Paris and featured a performance by James Brown. Veruschka was there and so was Patty Hearst. Though all eyes that day were on the clothes: waist-cinching latex dresses with sculptural headpieces, voluminous velvet capes, and sharp-as-a-knife silhouettes. It was, however, the Venus crinoline sheath gown modeled by Mugler muse Simonetta Gianfelice that captured Carter’s attention. Made of blush satin and velvet, the showpiece came with a sequin bodysuit and matching gloves. “That dress is worth not being able to walk. I knew she’d be happy to just tiptoe down the carpet,” he said. And Cardi did just that last night, navigating the red carpet with her usual irreverent flair. Later in the evening, she wore a crystal-embroidered tiger-print jumpsuit with a removable giant crinoline skirt made with organza and peacock feathers and an enveloping purple hooded cape originally sported by American actress Julie Newmar on the runway.

There were several days of fittings ahead of Grammy night. Some pieces were altered slightly by Mugler’s in-house team of seamstresses and tailors. The removable feathered skirt was put to the test during Cardi’s performance dress rehearsal, with her choreographer and creative director Tanisha Scott timing exactly how long it would take for the dancers to strap the look to the rapper’s body (they managed to do it in around three seconds flat).

In the end, Cardi would wear three Mugler looks on Sunday night. And while the red carpet and performance pieces immediately went viral, the white fringe dress she wore to collect her award has a special place in her heart. It was a fashion moment that was made all the more memorable for Cardi, as the first woman ever to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album, and Vogue was on the scene to capture it all. Above, we go behind the red carpet to see how a new kind of fashion history was made.

Directors: Max Bartick and Beatrice Pegard
Producer: Dayna Carney
Production Manager: Jen Santos
Editor: Daniel Poler
Titles: Michel Sayegh
Color: Company 3
Archive footage courtesy of the house of Mugler
Filmed on location at Dream Hollywood Hotel

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