If previous years were any indication, Rihanna was always going to make a grand entrance to the Met Gala. And so it is.
Turning up fashionably late with A$AP Rocky on her arm, Rihanna made the interesting choice to wear Balenciaga Couture for the night. Balenciaga Couture…and what looks like a beanie. That’s right. The Grammy Award-winning artist wore a beanie to the biggest fashion event of the year.
Interesting for two reasons, the first being that Kim Kardashian, the Met Gala’s other Big Name Arrival, also chose to wear the same brand. Demna is really getting his publicity out of this event.
Secondly, because the Barbadian singer has historically been one to be nail the brief and understand the assignment for the evening. Reminder: Balenciaga is Spanish/Paris-based and the theme for the night was American-inspired.
Rihanna’s been responsible for pulling off some of the Met Gala’s most memorable outfits in the past: John Galliano’s Pope-inspired look for “Heavenly Bodies” in 2018; that mind-blowing yellow gown by Chinese designer Guo Pei in 2015’s “China: Through The Looking Glass”; and in 2017, pulling off a Comme des Garçons floral sculpture flawlessly at the “Rei Kawakubo: Art Of The In-Between” exhibition.
Tonight, the Fenty Beauty founder instead floated across the red carpet wearing Look Number 53 from Demna Gvasalia’s debut Balenciaga Couture collection shown in Paris earlier this year.
Where Kardashian’s offering from the same designer had sex-dungeon master vibes, Rihanna instead went for volume and comfort.
On the other hand, kudos to A$AP Rocky. Not only is he able to actually play on the same level as as Rihanna unlike many other men who simply act as doorstops and sidekicks to their dates, he’s also wearing American.
The brightly colored patchwork quilt-like coat worn by the rapper was by Venice Beach-based designer ERL – Eli Russell Linnetz. Hidden beneath this colorful little throw was an appropriate tux. Not ground-breaking, but the blankie-cape made up for it.
This is the kind of fashion-pairing power couple we love to see. Come late, stay for the fashion and champagne, then it’s back the luxury bunker for some R and R.
She may still be holding out on that album but for now, we good.
Panoramic footage: Getty Images Video
