Amid speculation that Rihanna would not attend this year’s Met Gala, the pop star has officially graced the steps of the Metropolitan Museum for a stunning — if a little belated — entrance to the coveted fashion event. Arriving with her boyfriend, rapper A$AP Rocky, the singer turned heads in dramatic white Maison Valentino gown with a long, sweeping train that cocooned her face. For his part, Rocky wore wore a Gucci ensemble including a white collared dress shirt, and plaid kilt over a pair of denim jeans.
Vogue confirmed that Rihanna and Rocky were the final guests to arrive at the 2023 red carpet, with Vulture reporting that carpet coverage had wrapped some time prior to the couple’s arrival. W Magazine, meanwhile, reported that the Met Gala steps were empty when the power couple arrived — more than an hour after the rest of the attendees had already walked the carpet. With their eventual appearance causing quite the commotion online, Rihanna and Rocky gave ‘fashionably late’ a new meaning.
Rihanna’s Valentino gown was one of two looks the singer sported in preparation for this year’s Met Gala. Just hours out from the 2023 celebrity fashion event yesterday, Rihanna took to social media to share an image of herself in a monochrome black and white costume, complete with vintage Chanel pieces made almost entirely from fur.
“Not even monday,” the singer captioned the post ahead of her appearance on Met Gala steps today. Fashion commentators were quick to connect Rihanna’s pre-Met look with Lagerfeld, the designer and former director of Chanel upon whom this year’s Met Gala theme is based. Thankfully, Rihanna avoided the criticisms once levelled against Lagerfeld by choosing PETA-approved faux fur for the viral outfit.
Rihanna’s furry look was also thought to be inspired by Lagerfeld’s beloved cat, Choupette. After reports that the pet was invited to this year’s Met Gala, it was later confirmed that Choupette would not be attending the coveted event, a development which is perhaps for the best given the inevitable ‘who wore it better’ chatter that would arise between Choupette and Rihanna.
Rihanna has had a long affiliation with the Met Gala, having served as the event’s co-chair in 2018. The same year, the singer appeared in the film Ocean’s 8, the most recent instalment of the heist franchise that saw its characters successfully rob the Met Gala.
Rihanna wasn’t the only Met Gala guest to draw inspiration from Lagerfeld’s cat. For her part, rapper Doja Cat sported dramatic feline facial prosthetics, while actor Jared Leto went all out in a full-body cat costume with a removable head. Stay up to date with We Got This Covered’s 2023 Met Gala coverage — including red carpet looks from Serena Williams, Vanessa Hudgens and Jenna Ortega — here.
