Hotties unite: Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion joined forces once again for Cardi’s new song “Bongos”—their first collaboration since 2020’s “WAP.” In the video, the two served up a host of bold looks, thanks to stylist Kollin Carter.
Carter, who is Cardi B’s longtime stylist, usually only handles his client’s look for music videos. But “Bongos” was a new challenge, as he single handedly outfitted both stars and a host of backup dancers. “Normally when there’s a feature, I collaborate with stylists and they do their own thing on their client, and then I do my own thing,” he tells Vogue. “Meg was confirmed later in the conversation and Cardi is very attentive when it comes to the other artists, so I was like, ‘You know what, let me just take all of this on and make it magic.’”
And magic it was. Carter orchestrated looks for 12 separate scenes complete with magnificent Harris Reed headpieces, a rainbow of LaQuan Smith bathing suits, and a hypnotic Pucci room.
For Carter, incorporating Cardi’s Afro-Latina roots into the looks was tantamount. “I think that this was a perfect opportunity for us to explore Cardi’s background with fun colors and different silhouettes, and make it feel close to the core of who she is, culturally,” he says. “It’s a side that a lot of people haven’t gotten to see from her.”
Cardi’s massive, intricate Harris Reed headpieces are some of the biggest standouts in a video packed with eye-catching looks. Carter, who became enthralled with the British designer’s extravagant headwear since he saw them on Iman and Lil Nas X, knew that he would style one himself one day, despite the fact that they had already been worn by two superstars. “Normally when you see someone that big visit something you don’t revisit it,” he says. “But I don’t care, I’m doing that, and I’m gonna do it in my own way.” Carter admits that the shoot was stressful, and the Harris Reed order jumped from one to three headpieces overnight. “The Harris Reed team was amazing. They worked with us and knocked it out within a few days,” he says. “It is one of my favorite looks.”
