Rihanna’s Time-Bending Met Gala Arrivals
Beneath the alabaster glow of the Metropolitan Museum’s grand staircase, time itself seemed to bow for Rihanna, the undisputed queen of fashionably late entrances. Since her 2007 Met Gala debut, when she first stepped onto the famed carpet with a punctual poise that hinted at future rule-bending, Rihanna has crafted tardiness into a signature spectacle. Vogue maven Anna Wintour, the gala’s co-chair since 1995, sealed Rihanna’s exception to protocol in her 73 Questions interview with Vogue, smiling as she declared, “Rihanna.” And so, while other guests tiptoe through cocktails at 6 p.m. (NBC New York reports), settle into dinner by 8 p.m., and wrap the carpet by 9 p.m., Rihanna set her own clock.
Fast-forward to the 2024 Met Gala: anticipation bubbled long past the official close of the red-carpet live stream, and at 10 p.m., four hours after cocktails began, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky made their mythic entrance. Draped in Marc Jacobs, she floated down the steps in a sculpted bustier and skirt suit that revealed her pregnancy glow—an announcement fans had whispered about throughout the evening. The New York Times captured her playful rapport with shutter-clicking photographers (“I can barely wink but I’ll do it for you”) and noted how she embraced congratulatory cheers with a hearty “Thank you!” As for Rocky, clad in a punkish tartan kilt layered over rhinestone-studded jeans and four belts, he gave a nod to Lagerfeld while toting family news with grace (Associated Press).
Rihanna’s late entries have punctuated Met history with unforgettable visuals: from her 2018 co-chair moment during “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” when she arrived on time to honor the theme in ecclesiastical couture, to her debut’s youthful flourish. Whether swathed in a billowing white gown beneath a camellia-strewn balaclava or commanding attention in spectator pumps and pearl necklaces, each arrival reads like a stanza in an epic ode to her influence. Logistical whispers swirl—did she miss the seated dinner? Did she mingle among Hollywood’s elite? Officially, per NBC New York’s timeline, perhaps; ceremonially, absolutely not. Rihanna’s late-night procession transcends etiquette, bending tradition to her extravagant will.
In this ongoing saga of grand entrances, fans and fashionistas alike ponder what awaits at her next scheduled “late” moment. A bittersweet finale, or the prologue to her next grand act?
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, NBC New York, Associated Press, The New York Times, Vogue
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
