Reality star Kim Kardashian stole the spotlight at the Academy Museum Gala on Saturday night — though not everyone on her team was thrilled with her bold fashion choice.
Kardashian arrived in a custom Maison Margiela Couture gown featuring a nude tone and a tightly cinched corseted waist. Her neck sparkled with layers of gems, but her face was completely hidden under a beige, semi-sheer mask that covered her entire head.
Speaking to Variety on the red carpet, the 44-year-old star revealed that she wore a full face of makeup underneath the mask — and that her makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, had flown in from New York just for the event. “I flew in my favorite makeup artist Mario from New York, and this is kind of a last-minute thing, so I’m sure he’s not so happy with it,” Kardashian admitted.
Despite the concealed look, Kardashian said she planned to remove the mask once inside the gala so that Dedivanovic’s work could finally be seen.
Her glam team — Dedivanovic and hairstylist Chris Appleton — poked fun at the situation in a lighthearted Instagram video. “I feel like our work really just spoke for itself today,” they joked. “The face was insane … I don’t think people are ready … A mask? A mask?” Appleton later added on his own page, “Behind every masked moment is a glam team silently crying.”
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This isn’t the first time Kardashian has made headlines for wearing a face-covering ensemble. In 2021, she attended the Met Gala in an all-black Balenciaga outfit that completely concealed her identity.
In a recent interview on Call Her Daddy with Alex Cooper, Kardashian revisited that look, saying she never took off the mask during the event. “No,” she replied when asked if she ate, drank, or revealed her face that night. “I was committed. It was for fashion.”
The star — who is known for her elaborate beauty routine — also told Cooper that her annual glam expenses could total up to $1 million. With that in mind, her decision to cover her face again this weekend left fans amused and her team a little heartbroken.
