While most Brits were sleeping soundly in their beds, the US internet was briefly set alight by a video which appeared to show Rihanna arriving at the Oscars in a... bucket hat and flats?
Gasps were uttered, for sure. The video shows a very pared-down RiRi sauntering through the Dolby Theatre, home to the Oscars since 2022, in an oversized white tee, metallic olive green bucket hat and, of course, Fenty Puma trainers, while guests dressed to the nines in ball gowns and tuxes looked on.
rihanna dressing casual skipping the red carpt while everyone are all dressed up… i love her sm #Oscars pic.twitter.com/MD0tSYj8ru
— allure (@allurequinn) March 12, 2023
Luckily this look seems to be purely due to Rihanna’s reigning title as the Queen of Lateness, and she was merely turning up ahead of getting ready for her Oscars arrival and performance.
And boy, did she arrive. The singer, who was nominated for an award for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever title track Lift Me Up, proceeded to change into the first of three outfits for her appearance on the red carpet: an Alaïa leather cut-out gown, which showcased RiRi’s baby bump beneath a mesh turtleneck underlay. The look was tied together with Rihanna’s choice of a glam: a red lip, spiky up-do, rosy blush and a huge smile.
She posed for pictures on the red, nay, gold carpet (it’s champagne coloured this year, snubbing red for the first time since 1961), beaming as she held her bump with both hands.
Next, RiRi took to the stage to perform her Oscar-nominated song, Lift Me Up, which was nominated for Best Original Song alongside tracks from fellow heavyweights like Lady Gaga and Mistki.
For her performance, Rihanna wore an embellished bra with tulle halter straps and cascading crystal adornments, paired with black and gold floral wide-leg trousers, custom made for her by John Galliano for Maison Margiela. Her blown out hair was coiffed away from her face, and she accessorised the look with black leather opera gloves and heaps of diamonds.
Rihanna didn’t take home the Oscar for her song — it went to Naatu Naatu from the Telugu-language film RRR — but she did take home the unofficial award for best dressed after changing into a surprise third outfit when she returned to her seat after her performance.
Her final look was a mint green Bottega Veneta two-piece with a furry stole, matching bodice and silk split hem skirt. There were more leather gloves, and the split in her full length skirt revealed a pair of strappy seafoam heels which tied right up to her knees.
The Oscars marks Rihanna’s second major music performance this year — the first, of course, being the 2023 Superbowl halftime show — despite the singer not having released a fresh album since 2016. Nine years on, RiRi is finally returning from her hiatus.
