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Rihanna certainly knows how to make an entrance at the Met Gala. It’s an art she’s fine-tuned over her impressive 10 appearances. Her very first appearance was at 2007’s “Poiret: King of Fashion.” From there, an impressive streak of viral outfits have been delivered, and most recently culminated in her highly-anticipated (and long-awaited) arrival at 2023’s celebration of the exhibition, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”
It was not the first, and certainly not the last, time Rihanna sent the world into a tizzy at the Met Gala. Another enduring classic: the 2018 Met Gala, where Rihanna served as co-chair alongside Donna Karan and Amal Clooney, and kicked off the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” costume exhibit. She shut down the evening in a custom creation by John Galliano, complete with a mitre hat. (Her fans dubbed her “Pope Rihanna.”)
In 2015, the year that showcased China’s influence in fashion, Rihanna shut down the red carpet when she swanned in wearing a canary-yellow cape of legendary proportions. The couture piece by Guo Pei took two years to make (and twice as many men to carry), and would go down as one of the most memorable looks to ever make its way up the museum’s grand staircase.
It wouldn’t be the first time—or the last—that Rihanna delivered a pitch-perfect homage to the evening’s honoree. In 2017, when the exhibit highlighted Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, Rihanna managed to make an architectural CDG confection covered in floral fabrics layered and pulled apart like petals look like it belonged in the museum itself.
After shutting down the carpet in 2022 and 2023, we can only imagine what Rihanna has in store for 2024’s Met Gala, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” While we won’t know for certain if she’ll be there until the day itself (and, let’s be honest, probably not until the end of the red carpet), she did give us a little hint to latch onto: “I’m gonna wear Fenty something…” she told Vogue.
2023: “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”
This camellia-adorned number by Valentino paid homage to the Chanel brides that Karl Lagerfeld peppered throughout his collections. While Rihanna sat out the 2022 Met Gala due to her pregnancy, but bared her baby bump on the 2023 carpet.
2018: Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination
Rihanna’s papal moment has proven both an instantly iconic Met look, but an instantly iconic look period. The rhinestone-encrusted minidress, with a matching coat and hat was made by none other than John Galliano for Maison Margiela.
2017: “Rei Kawakubo: Art Of The In-Between”
In a piece fresh off Commes des Garçons’ runway, Rih proved that florals don’t need to be boring. An important note for any 2024 attendees considering the “Garden of Time” dress code…
2015: “China: Through the Looking Glass”
“I will never forget that feeling of discovering that designer,” Rih told Vogue of Guo Pei, who designed her awe-inspiring yellow coat-dress. Although Pei was a prominent designer in China, a boost from Rihanna helped put her on the map in the United States.
2014: “Charles James: Beyond Fashion”
Deemed one of her all-time favorite Met looks, Rihanna rocked this Stella McCartney number. Riddled with cutouts and sharp shoulders, she proved that you can still demand attention, even when keeping it (relatively) simple.
2009: “The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion”
Where other zig, Rihanna will always zag. For the 2009 Met, she leaned into menswear, donning a black Dolce & Gabbana suit complete with puffed sleeves, black driving gloves, and cropped cigarette pants.
