Cardi B & Donatella Versace’s 2022 Met Gala Platforms: Custom Couture vs. Medusa Aevitas

At the 2022 Met Gala in New York City on May 2, Cardi B and Donatella Versace approached the “Gilded Glamour” dress code through custom Atelier Versace looks that referenced the wealth, ornamentation, and corseted silhouettes associated with America’s Gilded Age.

Donatella Versace and Cardi B coordinate in custom Atelier Versace at the 2022 Met Gala, pairing blue-and-gold Gilded Age corsetry with Cardi’s chain-covered gold column gown on May 2, 2022, in New York City (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)

Cardi B wore a sculpted gold column gown covered in hand-embroidered metal chains, crystal-encrusted Greca borders, and Medusa medallions. The weight of the embellishment required a structured internal corset, while custom gold Atelier Versace platform heels extended the metallic look all the way to her feet.

Donatella Versace provided a contrasting interpretation in blue and gold. Her custom tulle bustier drew from Gilded Age corsetry, while frayed denim, Swarovski gold crystals, metallic chains, and gold leather referenced the California Gold Rush. She completed the look with custom metallic Atelier Versace platform footwear, visually connecting her outfit to Cardi’s towering gold shoes without simply repeating the same palette.

Neither pair of shoes was released as a standard retail style. Both were bespoke Atelier Versace creations made for the Met Gala, although their exaggerated platforms closely echoed the proportions associated with Versace’s Medusa Aevitas family of pumps and sandals. That distinction matters for anyone trying to identify or shop the shoes: the exact Met Gala footwear was custom, while commercially produced Versace platforms offer the closest reference point.

If you were an onlooker at the event or perhaps lucky enough to get past the ironclad Met Gala security and onto the red carpet, you may have noticed the Barocco print-wrapped convertible making its way to the entrance point.

Cardi B’s intricate Versace look brings Greca borders, Medusa medallions, crystals, and layers of gold chains into focus beside Donatella Versace’s denim-and-gold detailing (Credit: ABACA / INSTARimages)

The car itself was a showstopper and stood out from the sea of black Escalades and limos dropping off the night’s A-list guests. And when those Versace-clad convertible doors opened, the queen of rap herself emerged.

Cardi’s custom gown reportedly took more than 1,300 hours to construct and was hand-stitched by 20 of the Atelier’s craftspeople.

Cardi B stunned in a custom gold jewelry-covered gown by Versace featuring gold bracelets and necklaces (Credit: John Nacion / Startraksphoto)

At first glance, you may believe that Cardi’s accessories included a choker and chunky bangles around her arms, but that would be far too simple.

Around her wrists were layers of single chains that stacked up to her elbows, and around her neck lay multiple wrapped chains creating a Medusa-like gold detailing.

An estimated kilometer of gold chain was incorporated into the gown, alongside Versace’s Greca detailing and Medusa motifs.

Cardi B wore a Versace dress embroidered with gold chains that took 20 craftsmen 1,300 hours to complete (Credit: ABACA / INSTARimages)

Her hair was swept up in an elegant updo with tendrils framing her face, allowing for every detail on the dress to shine under the lights of the Met Gala red carpet.

While many guests at the 2022 Met Gala wore designs from Versace, only Cardi B arrived at the event perched in the back seat of a Barocco-printed convertible next to Donatella Versace herself.

The two walked the red carpet together, and Donatella worked directly with the rapper to bring the Atelier gown to life.

Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace celebrated her 67th birthday on May 2, 2022 (Credit: ABACA / INSTARimages)

Wearing her signature platinum-blonde hair with a blue-and-gold Atelier Versace gown, Donatella complemented Cardi’s all-gold look while celebrating her 67th birthday on the Met Gala steps.

Donatella praised Cardi for taking on the weight of the elaborate gown and called having the rapper as her Met Gala guest the perfect 67th birthday present.

Why Versace Remains a Red-Carpet Favorite for Celebrities

Versace has long built its identity around clothes and shoes meant to command attention. From Gianni Versace’s close relationships with musicians, models, and Hollywood stars to Donatella Versace’s modern celebrity collaborations, the house has made glamour, sex appeal, and spectacle central to its red-carpet presence.

Its signatures are equally recognizable: Medusa hardware, Greca borders, Baroque prints, body-conscious silhouettes, metallic finishes, and towering platform heels. Archival Versace adds another dimension, allowing celebrities to revisit pieces tied to specific moments in fashion history while newer Atelier creations continue the house’s tradition of custom dressing.

Cardi B and Donatella Versace’s coordinated 2022 Met Gala appearance captured that formula particularly well, combining couture craftsmanship, unmistakable house motifs, and custom platform footwear in looks designed to make an impact from head to toe. They are part of a much larger Versace shoe archive worn by stars on red carpets, runways, and the street.