The superstar has become the queen of the Met Gala with her iconic looks. Here are some of her best looks through the years.
Will Rihanna show up to the Met Gala? It’s a question we ask ourselves every year. (We’re better off asking this question than when the album is coming.) Her (often late) arrival is one of the highly anticipated moments of the big night. She’s been dubbed the queen of the Met Gala; she consistently shows up in a look that seizes everyone’s attention.
Throughout the years, her Met Gala looks have become moments in culture. When there’s a theme, she commits to it. Catholicism-inspired? No problem, she’ll show up as the most glam pope. Avant-garde? She’ll show up in the most exaggerated gown in an innovative world. The Met Gala red carpet is Rihanna’s playground, and we get to see her really play. The only downside is that we never know if she will show up until she shows up. As we inch closer to the first Monday in May, we look back at some of her best Met Gala looks. Here are the superstar’s Met Gala moments that left everyone talking.
Her best looks date back to a decade ago in 2014, when she made crop tops Met Gala–approved in this pure white Stella two-piece. From the structured shoulders to the slight ruching of the skirt perfectly draped and tailored to her body to her messy updo, this was just the beginning.
8/10 pope hats
“I’m a clown, people are going to laugh at me, this is too much,” said the artist in an Access Hollywood interview of the fur-adorned vibrant gown by Chinese designer Guo Pei. Following the China theme of the night, Rihanna was one of the few celebrities to wear a Chinese designer on the carpet. The dramatic train slowly grazed the red carpet and up the iconic Met stairs. Her gold headpiece and flipped red bob added more depth and detail to her look. As Rihanna herself, she could never do too much.
10/10 pope hats
For the Comme des Garçons theme, Rihanna showed up in a Commes des Garçons gown, of course. Rei Kawakubo is known for her avant-garde designs, which Rihanna has always leaned into. The 3-D gown featured a bold floral-print that appeared as flower petals — delicately textured to form a structured silhouette. “Best dressed” would be an understatement for this year. In hindsight, it was no coincidence that Rihanna’s overblushed cheekbones blending into her bold raspberry-pink eye shadows and burgundy lipstick was one of the best Met Gala beauty moments. It was simply a foreshadowing moment for the beauty mogul, because Fenty Beauty launched four months later.
9/10 pope hats
The pope could never. For the Catholic Imagination theme in 2018, Rihanna channeled the chicest pope you’ve ever seen. She arrived in an embroidered Maison Margiela look under the creative direction of John Galliano. This pearl embroidery wasn’t just anything — it took 500 hours to embroider and 250 hours to sew. The minidress was accessorized with a robe and headpiece similar to the pope’s, except this one had a swarm of jewels and sparkling Christian Louboutin pumps, her go-to brand for Met Gala shoes.
11/10 pope hats
This was the first time Rihanna wore all black to the Met — a nod to where American fashion was post-pandemic, perhaps? The dramatic Balenciaga cape was on par for her street-style looks. She accessorized it with a beanie hat and loads of silver jewels.
6/10 pope hats
Last year was the first year we got to witness Rih’s baby bump on the Met Gala carpet. As we know, her maternity style is in a lane of its own. For the Karl Lagerfeld theme, she arrived alongside her partner, A$AP Rocky, covered in camellias, Chanel’s signature flower. The camellias were only half the look; underneath was a white Valentino gown that hugged her bump with a train a couple feet long. To complete the look, she wore sunglasses with eyelashes attached (something only she would think of and pull off). Now, we wait: Will there be a 2024 look to add to her best moments, or will she leave us waiting for another year?
6/10 pope hats
