Met Gala 2022 marks the second time that Kid Cudi has graced Anna Wintour's red carpet and the second time that the rapper has worn a custom creation from one of his design idols. This year, it was NIGO's turn.
For Met Gala 2021, Cudder wore a bespoke Louis Vuitton ensemble courtesy of his pal, Virgil Abloh. A loose interpretation of the "In America" theme, Cudi's outfit was a paean to Abloh's immense impact on American fashion and it was also fucking wild.
Cudi and NIGO worked together on the X star's Met Gala 2022 look, an all-blue KENZO suit fit for the Met's red carpet.
In detail shots provided exclusively to Highsnobiety, you can really see the intricate craft utilized to piece together Cudi's outfit, which was both perfectly suited for the gilded age shenanigans that inspired the 2022 Met Gala theme and a detail-rich homage to the legacy of KENZO.
KENZO and its eponymous founder have been a fount of inspiration for new hire NIGO, who's been mining the LVMH-owned house's history for limited seasonal drops that've channeled KENZO's past into its future in the same way as Cudi's Met Gala outfit.
For instance, NIGO borrowed an archival KENZO poppy print from the maison's 1988 collection — poppies are classic KENZO — and updated it by going huge, printing the resulting design on the inside of Cudi's "Olympic Blue" cape, perfectly matched to the hue of his single-breasted blazer and slacks (which feature a slit hem because we're living in 2022, not 1922).
The end result is KENZO to a tee, which makes sense 'cuz the look was piecemeal inspired by KENZO's Fall/Winter 1984 collection.
Akin to the clothing created nearly 40 years ago for that collection, Cudi's suit is rich with joyous color and designed for ease of wear.
Some of the subtle touches are entirely informed by contemporary KENZO (i.e. NIGO), like the boke flower chain and pins that can only be scoped from close-up.
Similarly, only once the cape is removed can you glimpse the satin insert panel that interrupts the otherwise trim grain-de-poudre jacket, or the shirt cuffs that blossom from Cudi's sleeves like Takada Kenzo's beloved blooms.
The resulting design is more involved than it seems at surface-level. Far from a tossed-off quickie, the suit and cape's thoughtful craft reflect the mutual admiration between Cudi and NIGO.
Remember that Cudi recently guested on NIGO's I Know NIGO and NIGO helped Cudi launch his new clothing line.
These guys have recently been working together A LOT — but since it's all love, it probably doesn't feel much like work at all.
