Fans of fashion and celebrity gossip both have a big reason to get excited this Monday, as the red carpet is rolled out for the annual Met Gala.
The star-studded event is a real playground for the rich and famous when it comes to fashion, but few ever have quite as much fun – or get people talking quite as much – as Rihanna.
In the last decade, the chart-topping singer and beauty entrepreneur has cemented herself as the true queen of the Met Ball thanks to her show-stopping fashion choices – and all signs point to us getting another RiRi moment on this year’s red carpet.
So, while we wait for all the red carpet snaps from the 2024 Met Ball (including Rihanna’s herself!), here’s our definitive ranking of the looks the musician has worn to the Met Gala over the years…
10. 2007 – Poiret: King Of Fashion
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Fresh from the success of her then-recent chart-topping single Umbrella, Rihanna attended her very first Met Gala in 2007 (still rocking the Good Girl Gone Bad hairstyle, no less).
We have to be honest, this outfit really isn’t one for the history books, particularly in comparison to how cutting-edge Rihanna’s fashion choices would become in the years that followed.
Still, even if we’re not blown away by the white dress, we have to give a shout-out to those gloves, which do bring a certain something to the outfit.
9. 2011 – Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
Again, this isn’t our favourite Rihanna look by any stretch of the imagination, but we are very into this red fish-braid moment.
What saves this outfit from being bottom of the list is that the dress is a lot more innovative than it might look on first glance, although you do have to see it…
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…from all angles to get the full effect.
8. 2012 – Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations
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She certainly stepped things up the following year, didn’t she?
In tight black snakeskin, this look is definitely more reminiscent of “Rihanna the fashion icon” that would emerge in the not-too-distant future after this was taken
Still, although this outfit is a little too simple to have it any higher than eighth place on our definitive ranking, we still have to give her props for the cool material (and, of course, her fabulous hairstyle).
7. 2014 – Charles James: Beyond Fashion
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Another very pretty outfit from Rihanna. What we like most about her 2014 ensemble is just how youthful, fresh and fun it is, particularly at an event where we secretly suspect laughs are actually few and far between.
Of course, having fun with fashion would eventually become RiRi’s forte, as we’re about to discover later down this list…
6. 2022: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
Sean Zanni via Getty Images
This outfit might not be to everybody’s tastes, but if anyone on earth can pull off this enormous Balenciaga coat with a matching bejeweled beanie, it’s Rihanna – and we’re big fans of the makeup and jewellery.
In 2021, Rih walked the red carpet with A$AP Rocky, marking their first ever public appearance as a couple, and within a few months, the We Found Love singer would confirm she was expecting their first child.
5. 2023 – Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty
NDZ/Star Max via Getty Images
A pregnant Rih certainly made an entrance when she and A$AP Rocky arrived late at the Met Ball in 2023, with most guests already seated at their tables by the time the Grammy winner made her way down the red carpet.
Still, what an outfit this was. Between the massive flower coat (which turned into a completely different look when she took down the hood) and those white gloves, there was a lot to love, but we all know the true star of the show…
ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images
…were those incredible sunglasses.
4. 2009 – The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion
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Back in 2009, Rihanna was still in the early days of experimenting with a more avant-garde and daring style than we had been used to seeing from her at that time.
Mixing masculine and feminine, with her suit trousers, bow tie and towering heels, Rihanna gave one of the stand-out looks of the night that year, and she would carry on serving similar fashion moments to this while promoting her fourth album Rated R, which was released later that year.
It’s also worth noting that this was the then-21-year-old’s first red carpet appearance after being physically assaulted by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown just a few months earlier, making this already powerful (and, in our opinion, underrated) look even more impactful.
3. 2018 – Heavenly Bodies: Fashion And The Catholic Imagination
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Rihanna was one of the co-chairs of the Met Gala in 2018, so the stakes were especially high when it came to the red carpet.
Fortunately, she more than delivered, giving us the stand-out moment of the whole night.
What’s funny about this outfit is that while some critics on social media suggested it was blasphemous or in poor taste, the Vatican actually endorsed the theme that year, and Rihanna herself borrowed part of her outfit from an actual Catholic Cardinal.
2. 2015 – China: Through The Looking Glass
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
The dress that spawned a thousand memes, whether you thought it looked like a pizza, an omelette or a tribute to Big Bird, Rihanna’s 2015 look was one that got absolutely everyone talking.
Rihanna later revealed that shex actually stumbled on the dress while Googling Chinese couture online, telling Vanity Fair: “I’m so in love with this dress, but the train is insane!
“I can’t really walk in it without any help—but it’s so worth it. I love this dress so much! It’s Chinese couture and it’s made by Guo Pei. It’s handmade by one Chinese woman and it took her two years to make. I found it online.”
It was a big year for Rihanna at the 2015 Met Gala, not only winning the red carpet but performing during the event (in a much more stage-friendly ensemble, obv).
1. 2017 – Rei Kawakubo/Comme Des Garçons: Art Of The In-Between
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There are always one or two cop-outs on the Met Gala red carpet, with celebs preferring to wear something pretty or flattering rather than actually stick to the event’s theme – but 2016 was next level.
Because the night was inspired by Comme Des Garçons, the fashion house known for their elaborate and outlandish silhouettes, many of the stars in attendance opted for something a little more simple than the invitation requested.
Not Rihanna, though.
Mike Coppola via Getty Images
She hit the red carpet in this enormous creation, ensuring all eyes were on her and serving us a look so iconic it’s literally the one that’s used to illustrate the Met Gala on Wikipedia.
Not only is it stunning and inventive (and actually nails that year’s theme, when so many opted not to even try), it’s also tonnes of fun, completely exemplifying everything we love about Rihanna’s fashion.
Photos show what it’s really like inside the Met Gala
7-min read
Photos show what it’s really like inside the Met Gala
The public rarely sees inside the Met Gala, due to the event’s strict social-media ban.
Once celebrities pass the red carpet, they eat dinner and enjoy live performances.
Photos show how the Metropolitan Museum of Art transforms for the biggest night in fashion.
The Met Gala is one of the most-profile celebrity events of the year, but the public rarely gets to see what happens inside the event once the red carpet ends.
The annual fundraising event, which is held in celebration of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, is one of the most exclusive events of the year, with a guest list hand-curated by Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour.
Last year’s event raised a record-setting $22 million for the Costume Institute, according to Vogue, with individual tickets priced at around $30,000 and tables reaching as high as $275,000.
This year’s theme, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” will celebrate 400 years in fashion and feature rarely seen archival pieces from the institute’s collection.
Photos from past years’ events give a glimpse at what it’s actually like to attend the Met Gala, from the table settings to the night’s star-studded performances.
The Met Gala is held every year on the first Monday of May.
The outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Maurizio de Mattei/Shutterstock
The Met Gala is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The event is invite-only. Tickets typically range from $30,000 for a single ticket to $275,000 for a table.
The majority of what the public sees of the Met Gala occurs on the red carpet, which stretches down and across the steps of the museum.
An aerial shot shows Jared Leto on the red carpet at the 2023 Met Gala.Neilson Barnard/MG23/Getty Images
What actually goes on inside the event is kept under wraps until the night is over, as celebrities are prohibited from posting photos or videos from inside the event on social media, The New York Times reported.
However, officially released photos from past Met Galas offer a look at the decorations and atmosphere inside the event.
When guests arrive at the museum, they’re usually greeted by a large centerpiece in the great hall.
An interior view during the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023.Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images
Last year’s art installation featured a spherical wall of crystals, which paid homage to the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” theme.
The year before, a large spiral-staircase sculpture was erected in the middle of the room, inspired by the night’s “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” theme.
The museum is dramatically transformed through decor and lighting.
An interior view during the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023.Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images
However, the museum’s art installations in the Met’s American Wing remain untouched and available for guests to view throughout the night.
This is what the main space looked like at last year’s Met Gala.
An interior view during the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023.Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images
It featured ambient purple lighting, white flowers, and large-scale light projections.
The decorations change from year to year. In 2023, they heavily featured red flowers and roses to honor the night’s theme, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.”
The main phase of the night’s events is a dinner service.
An interior view during the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023.Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images
Last year, the tables were decorated with white tablecloths, crystal goblets, bright-fuchsia floral centerpieces, and towering candelabras.
There were long tables and smaller circular tables with booth seating placed throughout the main dining space.
An interior view during the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023.Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images
The event’s guest list is meticulously curated by Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, but the actual seating chart is designed by Vogue contributing editor Eaddy Kiernan.
Vogue reported that making the seating chart takes months.
“We really try to think very carefully about who’s sitting next to each other,” Kiernan told Vogue. “Our ideal pairing would maybe be two people who we think will just get on like a house on fire, but who may not even realize that they have a lot in common.”
It’s not just sitting around, though.
Vanessa Hudgens and Lea Michele at the 2023 Met Gala.Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty Images
In the photo above, Vanessa Hudgens, Lea Michele, Kerry Washington, and Paris Hilton can be seen dancing at the 2023 Met Gala.
There’s usually one headline performer for the night’s festivities.
Lizzo performs on a table during the 2023 Met Gala.Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty Images
The performer is a surprise each year. Past Met Gala performers have included superstars like Rihanna, Florence and the Machine, and Lady Gaga.
In 2023, Lizzo took to the Met Gala stage — and a table — to perform energetic hits like “Good as Hell” and “Truth Hurts” for the crowd of celebrity attendees.
Lizzo also charmed the 2023 crowd by performing alongside Irish flute player Sir James Galway in a rendition of “Flight of the Bumblebee.”
Lizzo and James Galway perform onstage during the 2023 Met Gala.Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty Images
It’s not unusual for Met Gala performers to pull out all the stops to create a memorable number.
It’s also possible for impromptu music performances to happen throughout the night.
Jon Batiste attends the 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022.Matt Winkelmeyer/MG22/Getty Images
Grammy winner Jon Batiste took to the floor alongside hired band members at the 2022 Met Gala.
Dancers dressed in 1920s-inspired costumes, inspired by the night’s Gilded Age theme, also performed.
However, the main attraction for celebrities attending the Met Gala is to mingle with other celebrities.
Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Jared Leto, and Kylie Jenner at the 2023 Met Gala.Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images
Some celebrities have even met their future flames at the exclusive event. Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn, who dated for six years, reportedly met at the 2016 Met Gala.
“It’s fun for meeting the five people you’ve always wanted to meet in your life,” Marcus Wainwright, a cofounder of Rag & Bone who has attended multiple Met Galas, told The New York Times in 2016. “It gives you some sort of permission because you got in the front door.”
If guests tire of drinking and dancing, they can also be among the first to view the Costume Institute’s latest exhibit.
An interior view during The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023.Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images
This year, the Costume Institute’s exhibition is titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” and will feature about 250 items drawn from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, spanning 400 years of garment history, Vogue reported.
The exhibit will open to the public on May 10 and run until September 2, 2024.
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