The Met Gala serves as a fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is a highly anticipated annual event that marks the start of its fashion show. The event is known to raise millions of dollars for the organization each year.
The 2023 Met Gala took place on May 1st with the theme “Karl Lagerfeld: Since ‘A Line of Beauty’,” in tribute to the late designer’s illustrious career and life. Attendees were expected to dress in a manner that honored Lagerfeld, who had worked for various fashion houses, including Patou, Balmain, Chloé, Fendi, and Chanel. The event’s dress code sparked a range of creative ideas from guests, drawing inspiration from Lagerfeld’s impressive body of work.
The Queen is Always Late
There aren’t many things on which the Internet agrees, but one thing is certain: Robyn Rihanna Fenty is the Met Gala’s undisputed queen.
Rihanna’s attendance at the Met Gala always leaves us wondering if she’ll show up or not. As the official live stream ended earlier tonight, her fans were eagerly watching The Carlyle Hotel’s entrance, knowing that she often arrives fashionably late after everyone else has left the red carpet. Rihanna, being a music, fashion, and beauty mogul, always keeps her followers on the edge of their seats.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were seen leaving the hotel at 10 p.m. wearing outfits that paid tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, who was being honored at the event. The Costume Institute exhibition “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Excellence” recognizes Lagerfeld’s extensive work spanning many years. Rihanna, as always, added her unique twist to the tribute.
Rihanna donned an extravagant white gown by Valentino, featuring a voluminous top decorated with extravagant fabric camellias, as she concluded the red carpet event at the Met Gala. She paid homage to the night’s honoree by wearing sunglasses and fingerless gloves. Her sunglasses were adorned with delicate false lashes. The hooded top of the gown was later draped over her arms to reveal a tighter bodice with spaghetti straps. Accompanied by A$AP Rocky, he matched a red plaid kilt with distressed pants, a dark suit coat, and a slim tie, also donning sunglasses like Lagerfeld.
Despite arriving several hours after the cream carpet opened to attendees, Rihanna, one of the Met Gala’s most highly anticipated guests, made a stunning entrance that was well worth the wait.
According to Vogue, the singer’s attire paid homage to the “Chanel ladies,” who often closed out Karl Lagerfeld’s shows when he was at the helm of the French fashion house. Lagerfeld utilized the outfits of these brides, which were not always traditional white gowns, to convey messages about various topics such as gay marriage, gender identity, austerity, showmanship, and most importantly, the concept of unadulterated beauty.
“Rihanna’s Met Gala Fashion Legacy: A Look Back at Her Iconic Looks”
Bad girl Ri has always been a fashion guru. Her fashion expertise has always been evident through the popularity of her clothing and shoe lines. However, it was her stunning goldenrod Guo Pei cape at the 2015 Met Gala that truly established her as a style icon. The cape wowed the fashion world and cemented her as one of the most highly anticipated celebrities on the red carpet. The CEO and founder of Fenty Beauty revealed to Vanity Fair that the gown took two years to create!
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky made a dramatic entrance at the 2021 Met Gala themed “In America,” arriving late in custom-made matching all-black outfits designed by Demna Gvasalia. Rihanna’s ensemble, a floor-length Balenciaga coat and matching hat by Stephen Jones Millinery showcased an interpretation of the all-American style. She accessorized with a diamond headpiece and necklace, creating a stunning look for the event. Vogue reports on the outfit in their “Fashion Lexicon.”
In 2018, as a co-chair for the Met Gala, Rihanna wore a pearl and jewel-adorned outfit inspired by the Catholic theme of the event, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.”
Rihanna is well-known for her iconic looks at the event and missed it the previous year due to giving birth. Anna Wintour joked in a Vogue video titled “73 Questions” that Rihanna is the only celebrity who has the privilege of being fashionably late to the Met Gala.
See Also: 6 Best Makeup Looks from Met Gala 2023
