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With the Met Gala approaching, all attention is once again on Rihanna, possibly the night's most anticipated attendee. Instead of speculating on what she'll wear, the only debate is how she'll redo the red carpet this year.
Famous for turning fashion into a literal production, she doesn't so much follow the direction of the theme as she completely absorbs it, distorts it, and generally hijacks the entire show for herself in the process.
The 2025 Met Gala shines its light on the art of Black menswear with the theme Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, celebrating the poise of dandyism and the cultural power of crisp tailoring. Although the guest list is still under wraps, fashion observers are already abuzz over whether Rihanna will deliver her show-stopping entrance.
Her Met Gala arrivals have become cultural events unto themselves, frequently overshadowing the event's biggest stars. Her style has ranged from queenly to literally anything, and she's the measuring stick against which everyone else is compared.
Rihanna is now a cultural touchstone of the evening itself. Her arrival shifts the mood of the evening, usually heralding its largest watercooler moments.
While other celebrities save the gala as just another red carpet to walk on, the singer treats it like a stage, albeit one on which she makes the rules. She knows that the Met Gala is more about standing out than fitting in, and every year she sets the tone for not only the night but for the confluence of celebrity and fashion in the public eye.
Before leaping into her Met Gala outfits, one must remember that Rihanna does not just attend the affair; she causes it to be. She has transcended through the years from a showy guest to a central figure, someone whose arrival is heralded like a piece of drama.
To learn how Rihanna has redefined the new identity of the Met Gala, we should study the ensembles that cemented her status there.
The singer was noticeably absent from the 2024 Met Gala, creating a hole on the red carpet where she's been a mainstay for years. Given A$AP Rocky as this year's co-chair, hopes are high that the style star might make a grand return. Fans of her music and her game-changing Fenty brand are on the lookout for whether she'll be back in the mix as one of the evening's most talked-about guests.
Here are the top 6 Rihanna Met Gala looks of all time
Here are Rihanna's top six Met Gala appearances that cemented her status as the red-carpet queen. Each look is not only one to remember, but a tutorial on how to combine high style with creative genius.
From stark silhouettes to brazen takes on the theme, the singer has never shied away from making a headline-grabbing statement that resonates long after the evening fades.
These six ensembles are not only evidence of her style transformation but also of her unparalleled skill at transforming the Met steps into her own catwalk-ready space.
Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised!
1) 2018 - Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination
In 2018, Rihanna elevated her stint as Met Gala co-chair to an entirely new height, dressing up in an appearance that not just fit the bill but cemented the theme. With the night being all about Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, she turned up dressed in a gobsmacking attire courtesy of John Galliano for Maison Margiela.
The stare, a rhinestone-studded minidress paired with an equally studded overcoat and mitre-shaped headpiece, was borrowed straight from Pope's attire, appropriating holy imagery and translating it into a fashion spread.
Rather than a gaudy choice, Rihanna's look ignited arguments over art, religion, and fashion and has since become part of the pop culture lexicon as the Met Gala's greatest performance. Her ability to blend creativity, controversy, and couture so seamlessly is what maintains her atop fashion's biggest night.
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2) 2017 - Rei Kawakubo: Art of the In-Between
At the 2017 Met Gala, which saw the theme set as Rei Kawakubo: Art of the In-Between, Rihanna appeared on the red carpet in what would be one of the most defining red carpet fashion moments in the history of the event. Far from playing safe and jumping onto the night's avant-garde wave, she instead opted to get in on it by appearing in an architectural, sculptural Comme des Garçons Fall 2016 dress.
The look, three-dimensional cut-outs in floral fabric that cinched and spread across her body like wearable sculpture, disregarding all conventions of traditional form and beauty. While the other celebrities were being conservative with their interpretation of the theme, Rihanna did everything in excess with the concept and angle of the theme, as well as utilised the carpet for it to become a virtual catwalk.
Her red carpet gamble fashion risk wasn't simply a tribute to Rei Kawakubo's avant-garde aesthetic; it set the Met Gala style bar above the rest, demonstrating red carpet gambles can be cultural markers.
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3) 2015 - China: Through the Looking Glass
Rihanna's 2015 Met Gala look for China: Through the Looking Glass is still one of the most memorable moments in the history of fashion to this day, all because she took the risk with the designer.
Chinese designer Guo Pei was already well-respected within China, but after Rihanna chose to wear one of her dresses that evening, she became a global name. The beautifully custom yellow gown, complete with jaw-dropping off-the-shoulder glance, faux fur-trimmed flared bell sleeves, and sheer over-the-top embellishment, encapsulated Rihanna's refusal to apologize for her style.
Strolling up the red carpet, its gorgeous and ginormous train sweeping along behind her, she was clearly making not just a statement, but an icon for herself as a Met Gala attendee.
Rihanna's choice to wear Pei's extravagant design was more than just a fashion moment, it was a moment of cultural exchange and the perfect example of how the Met Gala can elevate designers and redefine the global fashion scene.
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4) 2014 - Charles James: Beyond Fashion
Rihanna made a glorious comeback to the limelight in 2014 at the Charles James: Beyond Fashion themed Met Gala, slipping in a sneak peek in her breathtaking Stella McCartney dress. The two-piece dress was a timeless embodiment of her style, a cropped top with exquisite pointed sleeves, which were long-sleeved, conferring the whole look with an art of sophistication.
Side train high-waisted chic skirt conferred the appearance with a smooth but bold cut. To catch up with the gang, Rihanna supplemented the chinking choker elegantly mimicking the top's edgy minimalist neckline, which oozed glamour to the whole ensemble.
Especially backless crop top provided the edge of chicness and vintage glamour to the whole ensemble, which again asserted that she is the fashion icon.
5) 2021 - In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
Rihanna made a dramatic entry for the 2021 Met Gala, whose theme was In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. She amazed everyone by showing up in a dramatic couture dress that portrayed her diversity when it comes to fashion. She entered with the final group of celebrities, dressed in a Balenciaga coatdress over a striking Stephen Jones Millinery hat, a departure from her bright and colorful style.
The more subdued but unmistakable glamour was accessorised with a dramatic unveiling of Bvlgari gemstones, a whopping 267 carats around her neck and wrists. Her look, although far from her typical in-your-face statement, was no less of a high-fashion assertion than her peaceful attitude.
Rihanna's appearance at the Met Gala left no one in any doubt that, irrespective of theme, she can demand and make a statement, consistently blending opulence with innovation effortlessly.
6) 2023 - The Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty
Rihanna's 2023 Met Gala look is the most talked-about one. She made a dramatic comeback to the red carpet during the 2023 Met Gala after skipping the event in 2022 while she was pregnant. The theme of the night, The Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, provided the perfect opportunity for the pop sensation to give a maternity fashion impression.
She had on a Haute Couture custom Valentino wedding dress designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli, and this was clearly a tribute to Lagerfeld's existence, the classic Chanel wedding dress being one.
The wedding dress itself was perfect, white in colour, dripping in glamour with a tightly hugging bodice to accentuate her bump in the most beautiful way. A rosette in the middle of the bodice was a nod to Lagerfeld's excess. While the maternity dress itself boasted her pregnancy, Rihanna opted to add a touch of mystery and sensuality by having her don a hooded jacket, edged with the same rosettes.
The edges of the jacket were neat and streamlined, and added a touch of class, deflating some of the drama in her outfit. The addition of mittened fingerless gloves did not feel out of place; rather added a unique edginess. Her loose-fitting waist dress had a dropped-waist skirt that fell to dramatic floor-length, and a train in the back when she emerged onto the red carpet. The train looked a bit of pizzazz, so that everyone just wanted to stare at her as she passed by.
Completing her rebel ensemble, the singer topped off with a top hat of frown sunglasses, and massive eyelashes. The colors threw in a wink in the direction of her skill at combining high fashion with her own devil-may-care, go-for-broke style sense.
Overall, her 2023 Met Gala look ended up being an edgy mix of Karl Lagerfeld homage, couture trailblazer, and pregnancy announcement, a fashion rule of getting the surprise first.
Rihanna's Met Gala moments are now a fashion mainstay of her career, one more memorable than the last. She is famous for being bold and never wanting to be anyone but herself on the red carpet. Coupled with high couture and her unique take on style, she is so effortlessly able to push the event to another level of fashion with her looks.
Whatever the event, celebrating style icons, making style statements, or simply being herself, she never disappoints. With every public outing, she continues to break the bar on what it is to truly own style and self-assurance, with fashion holding its collective breath for what is next. Fans are eagerly waiting for her Met Gala look of 2025.
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