Fashion then ended their livestream coverage of the 2023 Met Gala almost every star had arrived, but the carpet didn’t officially close until Rihanna (and her beau, and her second baby baking) finally showed up. The Bajan singer and beauty entrepreneur wore a Chanel-inspired camellia flower-covered Valentino hooded dress with a long train. Always in theme, the Met Gala darling also donned fingerless gloves as a tribute to the late Karl Lagerfeld.
Rihanna
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In a 2022 interview with Rush, Rihanna said of her approach to dressing during pregnancy: “When I saw women dressing during their pregnancies (in the past), I thought that was the only way. So I challenged myself to move on and really just have fun with[maternity style]. Because there is nothing more fun than a challenge for me. Like I get creative there. That’s where I’m forced to come up with new ideas and new ways to make it work.”
Rihanna paired her white embellished Valentino dress with a BVLGARI high jewel platinum necklace featuring five pear diamonds, 118 Akoya cultured pearls, seven pear diamonds, 109 round diamonds, 561 fancy shape diamonds and pavé set diamonds.
The singer and businesswoman’s partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, also joined her on the carpet for their sartorial moment, wearing a single-breasted jacket, black tie, stack of belts, leather boots and a long tartan skirt over jeans, all by Gucci.
A$AP Rocky
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Held as an annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Met Gala has been hosted and chaired by Anna Wintour since 1995. Coinciding with the unveiling of the museum’s annual fashion exhibition, this year’s theme is Karl Lagerfeld. Titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” the collection honors the life and storied career of the late designer who passed away on February 19, 2019, and features more than 150 pieces, including sketches.
The dress code simply reads “In honor of Karl”, leaving it largely to the interpretation of the celebrities in attendance – and their stylists. The curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Costume Institute, Andrew Bolton, says he hopes guests will “celebrate the spirit of Karl, and hopefully everyone will come out in vintage Chanel, vintage Fendi, vintage Chloé.” Lagerfeld also designed for homes, including his Patou and Balmain brands.
The Met Gala program features Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa and Vogue’s Wintour as co-chairs of the evening. Check out the best looks from the 2023 Met Gala red carpet here.