Rihanna is a fashion icon. She broadened the scope of inclusive in fashion with her Savage x Fenty brand and made history as LVMH's first Black woman designer in 2019, to name a few of her groundbreaking contributions to fashion. Her career is worthy of every accolade, but her style is more personal. It represents the 35-year-old Barbadian musician's ability to break convention with her wardrobe, and convey empowering and freeing messages through her clothing.
[Rihanna's] career in fashion is worthy of every accolade, but her style is more personal.
She upgraded the naked-dress trend in Adam Selman at the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards, where she was recognised as fashion icon award winner. When she wore a strategically unbuttoned pink Chanel puffer coat to announce her first pregnancy with partner A$AP Rocky, she changed the way we think of maternity fashion, making it feel sexier and bolder than ever before. What's most exciting about Rihanna's style is that she's a rule breaker. She rarely subscribes to traditional modes of thinking when it comes to dressing, pairing heart-shaped fox fur coats with shorts or slip dresses with floor-length trousers.
Rihanna's singular sense of style is fully on display at the Met Gala. One of the most exciting stars to walk the red carpet every year, the "Lift Me Up" singer shows that she is a true student of fashion by studying the theme and choosing her outfit with intention and thoughtful consideration. In 2015, she blew everyone away in a custom gold embroidered gown by Guo Pei for the Met Gala's "China: Through The Looking Glass" theme. When she chaired the ball in 2018, she nailed the "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" theme in a custom John Galliano dress replete with a hat to resemble the Pope.
While she works with renowned stylist Jahleel Weaver to dream up many of her outfits, there is no denying Rihanna's input as both a collaborator and artist. And her CV reflects her prowess: in the past, she was named creative director of Puma in 2014; fronted campaigns for Armani, Balmain, and Dior; and developed collections with Manolo Blahnik, Chopard, and Amina Muaddi.
Ahead, scroll through time and count down Rihanna's best fashion moments to date.