Cardi B makes runway debut for Balenciaga
The storied house took over part of South Windsor Boulevard in Los Angeles for the event
(CNN) — Cardi B is known for bringing runway looks to the red carpet, but on Saturday she made a surprise appearance on the catwalk itself.
Modeling a bold floor-length blue coat and sparkling diamond jewelry, the rapper made her fashion show debut for Balenciaga as the label shut down a stretch of Los Angeles’ South Windsor Boulevard for a star-studded presentation.
“Yesterday was a dream!” she wrote on Instagram on Sunday, addressing the Spanish brand and its creative director Demna Gvasalia. “I had too much fun storming your runway!” Earlier on X, formerly Twitter, she posted a shot of herself walking the catwalk alongside the pun, “On my way to chic fil A!”
Cardi B was joined on the tree-lined outdoor runway by models including Liu Wen and Mariacarla Boscono, marking the first time the brand has ever held a show in LA.
The rapper, whose second studio album is expected next year, has a reputation for both elegant haute couture and over-the-top fashion statements — such as the vintage oyster-inspired Mugler dress she wore to the Grammys in 2019. Vogue magazine’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has previously praised the 31-year-old’s style, identifying her burgundy Thom Browne gown as a standout look at that year’s Met Gala.
Priced at $7,950, the faux-fur off-the-shoulder coat she modeled on Saturday is part of Balenciaga’s new pre-fall 2023 collection. Elsewhere, wide-ranging looks spanned baggy, layered “neo-grunge” ensembles and structural evening gowns. The show signaled a marked move toward activewear — with shorts, bra tops and leggings among the latest offerings — while a “jersey section” took inspiration from 2000s-style velour tracksuits, the label said.
In its promotional notes, Balenciaga wrote that the collection “illustrates Demna’s interpretation of LA’s fashion codes through a cinematic, character-driven lens.”
“Ideas apply to everyday activities like jogging, yoga and gym sessions, and then progress to Hollywood evening with step-and-repeat-ready, Cristóbal Balenciaga-inspired gowns,” the notes added. “In between, sections of updated grunge, upscaled daywear and signature tailoring take the spotlight.”
The glitzy show comes just a year after public backlash over two hugely controversial ad campaigns threatened to engulf the Spanish label. Last November, Demna apologized for campaign images featuring young children cuddling teddy bears dressed in bondage gear. The following month, social media users found that props used in a shoot for the label’s Spring 2023 collection included papers printed with the 2008 Supreme Court ruling on child pornography. The fashion house distanced itself from the images and announced that it was suing the production company behind the shoot, though the lawsuit was later dropped.
Balenciaga collaborator Kim Kardashian condemned the ads at the time, saying she was “re-evaluating” her relationship with the brand. She was, however, in attendance at Saturday’s show, where she posed for photographs alongside half-sister Kendall Jenner.
Given the location, it was no surprise to see plenty of Hollywood stars on the front row. Salma Hayek, Zooey Deschanel and Eva Longoria were among those to attend, as was Nicole Kidman, who was named a Balenciaga brand ambassador the same day.
Danish actor and model Brigitte Nielsen, a mainstay of 1980s fashion, meanwhile marked her return to the runway in an all-black ensemble featuring a pair of thigh-high platform boots. “I’m 60, and starting modeling again — who would have thought?” she later told Vogue of her comeback, adding that she “had to get used to the seven-inch platforms for a second.”
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