Only Girl In The World
Rihanna Doesn’t Walk Red Carpets, She Shuts Them The F*ck Down
Good things come to those who wait to see her at the Met Gala.
There’s walking a red carpet, then there’s owning a red carpet. And that’s exactly what Rihanna does at the Met Gala.
Over the years, it’s basically become tradition for the Fenty Beauty founder to close out fashion’s biggest night, waiting until everyone has gone inside before even setting foot in the area. In 2023, she didn’t leave her hotel until 10 p.m. (The red carpet typically ends between 8 and 9.) In 2025, the livestream had been over for an hour before she showed. Still, her climb up the iconic stairs was one of the year’s most talked-about Met Gala moments, especially since she debuted a baby bump that same day.
Personally, I don’t think Rihanna necessarily enjoys being “fashionably late”; I think she actually just does everyone a favor by entering last. Think about it: If she didn’t, she’d still be shutting down carpets — with other people waiting to go in. (Imagine walking in after Rih.) So the People’s Princess afforded everyone the same grace at this year’s bash.
On May 4, long after Vogue wrapped its live coverage, a frenzy broke out among the Met Museum’s steps as Rihanna arrived with A$AP Rocky. Her look deserved the commotion, of course. She wore a sculptural Margiela dress by Glenn Martens with a massive ruched “coil” around her torso, covered in more than 115,000 crystal beads, and other bejeweled accoutrements.
Rocky, ever the perfect counterpart for Rihanna, stunned in a pastel pink belted coat, custom-made by Matthieu Blazy for Chanel. They vied for the title of the 2026 party’s most stylish couple.
Showing up behind everyone else’s schedule isn’t reserved for Rih, of course. Many of fashion’s most stylish stars employ the same MO, building extra hype surrounding their appearance, turning their attendance into a suspenseful will-they/won't-they situation. (Kim Kardashian, for instance, also enjoys the occasional grand entrance. At the 2025 event, she arrived after dinner had already started.)
If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that Rih is always worth the wait. She never disappoints, always showing out in the best ‘fits. She is the gift that keeps on giving — no matter how delayed she might get there.
