Cardi B sparked controversy with her appearance at the 2024 Met Gala. The music artist faces criticism for not recalling the name of her designer while walking the mossy green carpet earlier in the week.
Prior to the controversy, Cardi B had already made headlines with her extravagant ensemble at the event. Her extra-voluminous black gown required the assistance of about nine people to walk up the Met Gala stairs. Despite the statement-making nature of her dress, Cardi B failed to remember the designer’s name when interviewed by Vogue.
“I feel amazing,” she said before being asked about the designer of her dress. “It’s this incredible designer. They’re Asian and everything, so yeah.”
Media representative Gilbert Cheah was among those who called out Cardi B’s failure to name Sensen Lii, the designer of her gown.
“For the record and recognition, and no thanks to Cardi B, the designer of her gown is Sensen Lii, who is Chinese,” Cheah wrote. “The gown took two months to make. I personally find it uninspired and off-theme, but she chose it and should have at least remembered his name and not just referred to him as ‘Asian.’”
After Cheah’s comment went viral, Cardi B posted a shoutout to Sensen Lii on X. She wrote, “I must give another thank you to Windowsen by Sensen Lii!!! I chose you because of your incredible talent, and you truly made this Met Gala a night to remember.”
Many echoed Cheah’s sentiments, emphasizing that designers work tirelessly for months in advance with celebrities for their gala looks. It’s a moment for the designer to gain recognition, especially among the media who ask about them. “Cardi B not remembering the designer who spent months creating her Met Gala dress and simply referring to him as ‘Asian’ is disappointing and disrespectful,” one person commented.
However, some were inclined to give Cardi B grace for her memory lapse. Another person added, “Forgetting someone’s name is not a crime. People love to attack over trivial matters.”
Cardi B responded to the matter via video, revealing the stress she experienced while navigating the red carpet. “When I was on the carpet, I was very scared because the dress was supposed to be on a little podium, and I’ve been practicing how to pose on the podium but at the carpet, I wasn’t allowed to use the podium,” she explains. “So, I had a lot of things on my mind and I was being rushed in front of the line. So, when I was getting interviewed, I kind of forget to pronounce the designer’s name because his name is a little bit complicated… My mind was just racing.”
She elaborated. “I said Asian designer because I knew the designer was Asian but I wasn’t sure what nationality the designer was… The designer and my stylist, we worked really hard.” Cardi concluded by reprimanding Cheah, stressing that such actions undermine the collective efforts and investment of everyone involved.
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