Rihanna Gives Bridal at the 2023 Met Gala

Rihanna is the reigning queen of Met Gala fashion. Every year, the event issues a theme. Some fail to grasp the assignment—Rihanna never being one of them. You might recall her sculptural Comme des Garçons number in 2017 or the embellished John Galliano-designed Pope ensemble for ‘Heavenly Bodies.' Plus, who could forget her iconic yellow Guo Pei gown for ‘China Through the Looking Glass’?

This year’s (controversial) theme honors the late fashion extraordinaire, Karl Lagerfeld. With an abundance of Lagerfeld references to pull from his work at Fendi to the helm of Chanel, Rihanna’s choice for the evening was anyone’s guess. Protecting her spot as the fashion queen of the Met Gala, Rihanna arrived on the Met steps in an archive Fendi Fall/Winter 1997 designed by Lagerfeld, originally worn by Naomi Campbell. On the carpet, she rocked an oversized, white Valentino dress. Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky wore a Gucci ensemble inspired by Lagerfeld.

While the guest list was kept under wraps leading up to the event, Rihanna left fans speculating about her attendance after sporting a Lagerfeld-era Fendi piece and Chanel outfit. The first of which—a patchwork hooded coat from Fendi's Fall/Winter 1999 collection—was spotted while the singer was taking a stroll in Paris. A couple of days before the Met Gala, Rihanna riled up her fans once again when she donned a Chanel ensemble on the streets of New York. Said look included a furry white mini dress, dramatic wide-brimmed furry hat, black and white fur coat, and Chanel double C sunglasses. 

The Easter eggs were clear, Rihanna was attending the Met Gala. After arriving fashionably late to the exclusive event, the Fenty Beauty mogul didn't disappoint in custom Valentino—a strong edition to her lengthy list of Met Gala showstoppers.