Rihanna is used to breaking the fashion corner of the internet by now. There was her Met Ball dress in 2015, which quickly became a meme of various foodstuffs, including pizza and omelettes. Then came the wine glass as accessory last year. And the Gucci chainmail bodysuit at Coachella, which was posted as a selfie on Instagram along with the caption: “I can’t go home yet, cuz enough people ain’t seen my outfit.” Don’t fret, Riri! At the time of writing, 1,878,262 have seen it now, along with the lucky ones to encounter it IRL at the festival itself.
In this past week, Rihanna has had a hat-trick of public appearances that she has, to be frank, slayed. Take a moment to enjoy the singer’s latest sartorial brilliance. Then take another to realise that Rihanna has the ability to bring fashion trends off the catwalk, on to social media and into your life. Like that chainmail bodysuit: I bet that this party season chainmail will be on your radar for party dresses. And that Met Ball gown? It pre-dated the yellow dress trend by almost two years. Here’s what Rihanna’s week of brilliant outfits signal for what you will wear this autumn.
The power suit
Sure, Rihanna is on hand to help with dressing for a night that doesn’t end until 6am. But day dressing? She’s got that, too. This week’s meeting between the singer and Brigitte Macron at the Élysée palace saw her in an oversized trouser suit thought to be by Dior, which was a contrast to Mrs Macron’s jeans and neat little jacket. Non-fashion people might see a baggy jacket with sleeves so long you can’t see the wearer’s hands as worthy of Sean Spicer. But those in the industry would give it a giant tick. Executive day realness – as in the kind of office-ready look last popular in the 80s – is massive, both literally and figuratively, right now. Rihanna’s message – and of fashion in general – for your working wardrobe going forward? Go big or go home.
The red dress
For the London premiere of Valerian – a film set in the 28th century in which she plays an alien called Bubble – Rihanna went retro. She came as a sort of sexed-up version of Clara from The Nutcracker. Her red dress, designed by Giambattista Valli, tells us three key things about AW17. No 1: Frills are back in a big way, at brands such as Valli, and also at London designer Molly Goddard, another favourite of Rihanna’s. No 2: The red dress is the new LBD. No 3: Fashion critics are pinpointing this outfit as a potential turning point in fashion’s relationship with cleavage, with “70s boob” set to be replaced by something more hoiked-up, à la Dangerous Liaisons. Only time – and future historians – will tell whether these predictions come true.
The pink co-ords
Going out-out isn’t only for dresses these days. Rihanna is here to help us get used to the idea of co-ords – as in two pieces that match – for after dark. On Tuesday, hers were Prada and in, oddly, the same shade of Mean Girls’ Plastics pink worn by Theresa May, appropriately enough, on Wednesday. I think it’s clear, though, which pink reference we will be taking on for autumn. Rihanna’s ticked several other trend boxes: feathers, sequins and midriff. Conclusion: millennial pink is over, but actual pink still works. For autumn, jazzy trimmings are essential. The sunglasses – in the same shade as the outfit – show a pro at work. Strong and stable necklaces are to be avoided.
