Rihanna Steals the Fashion Awards
Published: 12:12 PM,Dec 09,2024 | EDITED : 04:12 PM,Dec 09,2024
She wasn’t even nominated, and Rihanna still stole the show Monday night at the Fashion Awards in London.
Arriving last, as has become her wont at such events as the Met Gala and the Alaïa show, and there as a plus-one to support her partner, ASAP Rocky, who received the Cultural Innovator award, the artist and Fenty mogul made her entrance in a turquoise wrap coat and faux fur hat from Christian Lacroix’s fall 2002 couture collection. With that she wore a black corset, black leather opera gloves and sheer black tights. The effect was kind of haute Flintstone meets the Folies Bergère.
As for ASAP Rocky, he wore Bottega Veneta — a navy chore coat, matching pants and a red leather tie — and called the honor “surreal.” That was also an accurate description of the Royal Albert Hall, where the awards were held and where a crimson disco ball cast a new light on a familiar scene. But it was Rihanna’s enormous hat, jauntily tilted and visible from every vantage point, that summed up the point of the night: The business of fashion may be serious, but wearing it should be fun.
Her look was as laudable as the actual winners, who included Alex Consani as model of the year, the first transgender woman to receive the recognition; Grace Wales Bonner as British menswear designer of the year; Simone Rocha as British womenswear designer; and Jonathan Anderson of Loewe and JW Anderson as designer of the year for the second year in a row.
That choice wasn’t a big surprise, especially given Anderson’s moonlighting this year as costume designer on the Luca Guadagnino films “Queer” and “Challengers” and the multiple wild rumors surrounding his future job prospects, but some of the other outfits were. Here’s what else caught our eye.
More Method Dressing
Nicola Coughlan and Simone Ashley proved that while you can take the girls out of “Bridgerton,” you can’t take “Bridgerton” out of the girls’ wardrobes. Coughlan channeled her character, Penelope Featherington, post-glow-up in an off-the-shoulder black velvet Gaurav Gupta gown with exaggerated aqua satin panniers, while Ashley summoned a whiff of Kate Sharma in strapless ivory Prada with a bell-shaped miniskirt — and billowing train. Lady Whistledown would approve.
Suiting the Moment
Venus Williams, in a Thom Browne overcoat and plunging jumpsuit, and Rita Ora, in an oversize double-breasted gray jacket from her collaboration with Primark, a British high street brand, and a pink tie, were ready for business. Ora said her look, which included bleached blond eyebrows and a mullet, was an homage to David Bowie. As he once sang, “Fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion.”
Musk-fluence?
Jodie Turner-Smith, who accompanied Burberry’s creative director, Daniel Lee, accessorized her buttery, bias-cut (yup) Burberry gown, encrusted in silver sequins and beads, with two bunches that jutted, antenna-like, from the top of her head. Just in case, you know, she needed to radio her spaceship to make a quick getaway. Or contact Elon Musk.
Northern and Southern Exposure
Naked dressing is the red carpet trend that will never die — it simply gets more daring. Such, anyway, seemed to be the message from Julia Fox, in a sheer Dilara Findikoglu corset and petticoat frock with strategically placed boning, and Ming Lee Simmons in transparent gold-beaded Sau Lee. It’s one way to suggest you have nothing to hide.
Brand Building
Why waste a good social media snap? Sabato De Sarno of Gucci, who took home a special recognition award in honor of a campaign focusing on London, brought model Yanan Wan to the event, each of them doing their best impression of a walking billboard in head-to-toe “Ancora red,” the color De Sarno has made a Gucci signature since taking over as creative director last year. Michèle Lamy, who presented the Cultural Innovator award to ASAP Rocky and is the partner and muse of Rick Owens, went full batwing goth. That’s not just advertising. It’s commitment.
Season’s Greetings
Ellie Goulding, in a pristine white Moncler Genius puffer coatdress (a puffer coatdress! Who knew?), and Gemma Chan, in snowy Self-Portrait x Christopher Kane, looked as if they had just stepped off a sleigh after a ball at the North Pole. Santa would definitely approve. —NYT
Arriving last, as has become her wont at such events as the Met Gala and the Alaïa show, and there as a plus-one to support her partner, ASAP Rocky, who received the Cultural Innovator award, the artist and Fenty mogul made her entrance in a turquoise wrap coat and faux fur hat from Christian Lacroix’s fall 2002 couture collection. With that she wore a black corset, black leather opera gloves and sheer black tights. The effect was kind of haute Flintstone meets the Folies Bergère.
As for ASAP Rocky, he wore Bottega Veneta — a navy chore coat, matching pants and a red leather tie — and called the honor “surreal.” That was also an accurate description of the Royal Albert Hall, where the awards were held and where a crimson disco ball cast a new light on a familiar scene. But it was Rihanna’s enormous hat, jauntily tilted and visible from every vantage point, that summed up the point of the night: The business of fashion may be serious, but wearing it should be fun.
Her look was as laudable as the actual winners, who included Alex Consani as model of the year, the first transgender woman to receive the recognition; Grace Wales Bonner as British menswear designer of the year; Simone Rocha as British womenswear designer; and Jonathan Anderson of Loewe and JW Anderson as designer of the year for the second year in a row.
That choice wasn’t a big surprise, especially given Anderson’s moonlighting this year as costume designer on the Luca Guadagnino films “Queer” and “Challengers” and the multiple wild rumors surrounding his future job prospects, but some of the other outfits were. Here’s what else caught our eye.
More Method Dressing
Nicola Coughlan and Simone Ashley proved that while you can take the girls out of “Bridgerton,” you can’t take “Bridgerton” out of the girls’ wardrobes. Coughlan channeled her character, Penelope Featherington, post-glow-up in an off-the-shoulder black velvet Gaurav Gupta gown with exaggerated aqua satin panniers, while Ashley summoned a whiff of Kate Sharma in strapless ivory Prada with a bell-shaped miniskirt — and billowing train. Lady Whistledown would approve.
Suiting the Moment
Venus Williams, in a Thom Browne overcoat and plunging jumpsuit, and Rita Ora, in an oversize double-breasted gray jacket from her collaboration with Primark, a British high street brand, and a pink tie, were ready for business. Ora said her look, which included bleached blond eyebrows and a mullet, was an homage to David Bowie. As he once sang, “Fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion.”
Musk-fluence?
Jodie Turner-Smith, who accompanied Burberry’s creative director, Daniel Lee, accessorized her buttery, bias-cut (yup) Burberry gown, encrusted in silver sequins and beads, with two bunches that jutted, antenna-like, from the top of her head. Just in case, you know, she needed to radio her spaceship to make a quick getaway. Or contact Elon Musk.
Northern and Southern Exposure
Naked dressing is the red carpet trend that will never die — it simply gets more daring. Such, anyway, seemed to be the message from Julia Fox, in a sheer Dilara Findikoglu corset and petticoat frock with strategically placed boning, and Ming Lee Simmons in transparent gold-beaded Sau Lee. It’s one way to suggest you have nothing to hide.
Brand Building
Why waste a good social media snap? Sabato De Sarno of Gucci, who took home a special recognition award in honor of a campaign focusing on London, brought model Yanan Wan to the event, each of them doing their best impression of a walking billboard in head-to-toe “Ancora red,” the color De Sarno has made a Gucci signature since taking over as creative director last year. Michèle Lamy, who presented the Cultural Innovator award to ASAP Rocky and is the partner and muse of Rick Owens, went full batwing goth. That’s not just advertising. It’s commitment.
Season’s Greetings
Ellie Goulding, in a pristine white Moncler Genius puffer coatdress (a puffer coatdress! Who knew?), and Gemma Chan, in snowy Self-Portrait x Christopher Kane, looked as if they had just stepped off a sleigh after a ball at the North Pole. Santa would definitely approve. —NYT