Photography courtesy of Getty Images
Sheer dresses, cutouts and even an umbrella chapeau dominated the red carpet.
Date November 22, 2021
Cardi B, in all her maximalist style glory, is never one to hold back on the red carpet. Such was the case at the 2021 American Music Awards (AMAs) on November 21, where the rapper took her role as host quite seriously. Showing us just how much she loves to take risks, Cardi B kicked the AMAs off turning heads in surrealist Schiaparelli couture.
The dress itself was simple: a black form-fitting strapless gown with a train. But the look was amped up with the addition of an all-encompassing mesh veil and a hefty gold mask that covered her entire face. The ensemble was embellished by additional gold accents, with long fingernails at the end of her black gloves and earrings in the shape of eyes with dangling fingernails attached.
But that’s not all. Cardi B sported several costume changes throughout the evening — eight, to be exact — and even took home an award: Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Song for “Up.”
The artist’s now-viral Schiaparelli look garnered mixed reviews on social media, and that’s how you know you’re doing it right. Cardi B embraces the art in fashion, and this avant-garde AMAs look is the ultimate showcase of her fearless style. It’s camp! We would expect nothing less.
While Cardi B is the winner in our book, many other attendees brought their fashion A-game to the 2021 AMAs red carpet. JoJo, the 30-year-old R&B singer who found mainstream fame in the early aughts, attended for the first time since 2004 in a stunning look. She donned a bedazzled dress from L.A.-based designer Usama Ishtay, embellished with Y2K appropriate details including skin-bearing cutouts and a visible G-string (also bedazzled, of course).
Singer Kali Uchis opted for the current bustier trend with two respective red carpet looks: an all-pink corset with a silk robe by Dolce & Gabbana and a nude bustier paired with a black mini skirt by Mugler. Sister-singer duo Chloe and Halle Bailey also channeled Y2K trends, bearing thigh-high slits and hip cutouts in their respective ‘fits.
The 2021 AMAs red carpet was filled with crystal detailing, sheer dresses, lots of cutouts and even an umbrella chapeau. Judging from these looks, it appears we’ve entered the highly anticipated Roaring Twenties of fashion.
Here are our favourite outfits from the star-studded red carpet.
Halle Bailey in LaQuan Smith
Casie Colson Baker and Machine Gun Kelly in Ashton Michael
Olivia Rodrigo in David Koma