After a night of looks to die for ranging from Chloe x Halle‘s sisterly nod to Tina Turner to Yara Shahidi‘s Josephine Baker-inspired gown, Rihanna appeared on the MET Gala red carpet to serve what we’d been waiting for. The ‘Anti’ singer appeared in a Balenciaga overcoat and matching hat alongside her rapper beau A$AP Rocky, who made their red carpet debut together at this year’s MET Gala. Just after 10 PM EST, the FENTY Beauty mogul arrived on the carpet fashionably late – emphasis on the “fashion” – straightaway following the tapping of her highly-anticipated Savage x Fenty Vol. 3 show.
When asked by ESSENCE carpet correspondent Gia Peppers about the Black women who inspired her red carpet look, Rihanna did not hesitate to break down the details. “Well, I wanted a look that seemed very powerful yet feminine, yet a black hoodie which is the thing that we’re usually incriminated by as Black people,” she answered before further explaining her look to Peppers. “I wanted to empower that and take that and make it mine and make it fashion.”
According to Vogue, Rih’s look was customized by Demna Gvasalia specifically for last night’s theme, “Americana: A Lexicon Of Fashion.” Rihanna‘s look consisted of the oversized Balenciaga cape gown, a dark lip to compliment the vibe of her ensemble, and a black knit beanie over a diamond headpiece and matching necklace.