Rihanna Closes Down the 2026 Met Gala Red Carpet
It’s not a Met Gala without Rihanna. The singer is basically as essential to the event as Anna Wintour herself, and the evening just doesn’t seem complete until she hits the red carpet. And while Rihanna arrived late, per usual, to the 2026 Met Gala, she didn’t deny us the drama for which she has become known, thank goodness.
Rihanna attended the Gala on Monday night in Maison Margiela Couture by Glenn Martens, inspired by a look from the designer’s fall/winter 2025 collection. Metallic fabric wrapped the singer’s legs in a column skirt before climbing up and encircling her upper torso, creating an opening to show off a jewel-encrusted turtleneck top. Diamond rings dotted her fingers while forty metal pin curls from Jennifer Behr covered her hair, mimicking the shape of the dress and adding an artful touch to the ensemble.
The best part about Rihanna’s Met Gala repertoire is that we never know what to expect. A silk, fur-lined coat? A pearl-covered pope? A deconstructed suit? Each year brings with it something different, and 2026 was no exception.
Of course, Rihanna was joined by her partner, A$AP Rocky, on the red carpet, and together, the two made for the most fashionable couple of the evening. For his part, Rocky wore a pink Chanel jacket-cum-house coat featuring a belt finished off with fringe and a feathered flower brooch. The pair’s looks were in no way coordinating, but they represented both of their respective styles, allowing each to shine in their own way.
We don’t know what Rihanna’s goals were for her look this evening, but perhaps she wanted to look “pretty,” like in 2019. Milliner Stephen Jones, who made Rihanna’s pope hat that year, asked the singer the simple question of how she wanted to look prior to the event. He recalled the moment recently to W. “She replied, 'Funny enough, nobody has asked me that,’” he said. Jones warned Rihanna of the hat’s weight, but the singer, always a pro, was unconcerned. “Have you seen the shoes?” she asked. “The hat is not the problem.” Tonight, then, must have been a breeze for her.
