Kim Kardashian brought a touch of quantum mechanics to the 2021 Met gala red carpet on Monday night, presently onlookers with the beauty equivalent of Schrödinger’s paradox.

Much like the cat in Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment—an animal that exists in a liminal space between life and death until it’s perceived by the viewer—Kim was simultaneously both fully glam and totally faceless at the star-studded fashion event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The typically heavily-exposed reality star sent shock waves across the internet when she arrived wearing the Balenciaga equivalent of a blackout curtain. The custom ensemble was composed of a turtleneck bodysuit worn under an oversized t-shirt dress with a long train, and accessorized with the brand’s signature legging boots, matching gloves, and a head-obscuring mask identical to the ones her ex-husband Kanye West has been wearing during his Donda performances. Kim was accompanied by Balenciaga’s creative director and frequent West collaborator, Demna Gvasalia, who also wore an all-black hoodie, sweatpants, and face mask.

And according to a source who spoke to People, the whole concept for this sensational Met gala moment was, in fact, the billionaire’s estranged husband. “Even though Kanye is not attending tonight, his presence will be felt on the carpet,” they said. “It was Kanye who introduced Kim to Demna and was instrumental in the newly formed relationship between her and Balenciaga.” The insider went on to highlight that “This look on Kim is like a new subculture and fashion statement. No logo, no face, but everyone knows it’s her. Kanye gave her the courage to push creativity and people’s imagination through art. It’s the ultimate confidence.”

But just because there was no face doesn’t mean there was no makeup. Kim’s makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic shared a photo on his Instagram account showing off a few of the products he used to prep the star for fashion’s biggest night. The Skims founder’s glam for the evening included a whole lot of skincare by La Mer, as well as the brow pencil, brow gel, and eyeshadow palette from Dedivanovic’s eponymous cosmetics line. The makeup artist also shared behind-the-scenes photos of him prepping Kim’s skin for the event, as well as her final beauty look, captioning the shot, “Behind the mask,” with a winky emoji.

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