If there’s one star who has taken the adage “last but not least” to heart when it comes to the Met Gala, it’s Rihanna.
The singer made her first appearance on the legendary steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2007. The theme was “Poiret: King of Fashion,” and Rihanna was just 19 years old and not yet known for her show-stopping, carpet-closing appearances at the annual event. She wore a sweet white Georges Chakra gown embellished with crystals, completing the romantic look by holding a single long-stemmed red rose.
As time went on, her choices for the gala got edgier: The musician embraced tight-fitting silhouettes, took inspiration from menswear, and dared to bare in formal crop tops before showing off midsection was as de rigueur as it is now.
It was at 2015’s “China: Through the Looking Glass” party, however, that Rihanna claimed her crown as queen of The Met. She wore a canary yellow Guo Pei gown and matching headpiece, her every move trailed by a regal, cape-like train. The attention-grabbing look marked the beginning of Rihanna’s continuing run of fashion dominance at the event, going big every time, to the delight of fashion lovers.
In 2018, Rihanna wore an instant-classic look to reflect the gala’s “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” theme. The world met Pope Rihanna, decked out in John Galliano–designed Maison Margiela, laden with pearls and ornate beading, complete with a papal-inspired headpiece and spiked Christian Louboutin heels.
Even late-term pregnant, as she was at the 2023 gala, Rih brought it, arriving alongside partner A$AP Rocky at the last possible second, swathed in white flowers and revealing a gigantic train on her stunning Valentino gown.
You never quite know what to expect on The Met red carpet, but these days, if Rihanna is there, you can count on some kind of fashion magic.
Below, see all of Rihanna’s Met Gala fashion looks, from her debut in 2007 to her most recent appearance in 2023.