The Met Gala 2022 certainly served some big fashion moments, but we couldn’t help but miss one of our ultimate red carpet icons. That would be Rihanna, of course, who always understands the assignment for the first Monday in May.
Since Riri has been serving up some incredible maternity fashion moments after announcing her pregnancy in January, many fans were probably hoping she’d bring a bump-skimming look to the Met Gala red carpet – but the star was nowhere to be seen. Or was she?
READ MORERihanna’s rumored baby shower theme makes so much sense
Security was tight, but we do have some details.
By Emily Tannenbaum
While she wasn’t there in person, the iconic fashion party clearly didn’t want to be without her presence – since the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Vogue erected a digital statue of Rihanna, modelled on her recent magazine cover for which she wore a lace bodysuit.
In an Instagram caption to showcase a video of the statue, the magazine wrote: “The statue of “Eirene (The Personification of Peace)” is usually the highest-profile marble goddess @themetmuseum Greco-Roman galleries. But now we’ve got @badgalriri, straight off this month’s Vogue cover.”
That’s pretty major. It got the seal of approval from Rihanna herself, too, who also posted the clip, responding: “Shut down the met in marble! what’s more gilded than that? Lol! Thank you @metmuseum and @voguemagazine for this historic tribute! Y’all bad for this one!”
Since the singer has attended the Met Gala an incredible nine times, offering up some seriously iconic looks (who can forget 2015’s ‘China Through The Looking Glass’ Guo Pei gown?), many fans were quick to note that she managed to make her mark once again.
Rihanna’s memorable Guo Pei gown at the 2015 Met Gala
Getty Images
“Queen of the Met without even being there,” one fan responded, with another adding: “Your marble statue just won best dressed of the night!”
Anna Wintour herself has previously spoken of how much she admires Rihanna’s commitment to her Met Gala looks. In a Vogue video breaking down some of the event’s most memorable looks over the years, the editor referred to her as her “favourite Met guest”, crediting her 2015 gown as “not only the dress of the night, but the dress of the Met through the annals of time.”
It’s thought that Rihanna didn’t attend the 2022 event since she is nearing her due date, and is unable to travel during the third trimester of her pregnancy.
What can we say… bring on 2023?
