Every A-lister has their signature luxury accessory they own in every shade and texture possible, because they love it that much. Jennifer Lopez's is the Hermes Birkin bag. Katie Holmes's is Gucci loafer. Rihanna's is the fur hat.
Long before opulent hats became a bona fide winter 2024 runway trend, the "Diamonds" singer was building an impressive archive of fur toppers. She owns versions from bubblegum Emma Brewin bucket hats to vintage Chanel and Oscar de la Renta furs, in dimensions to rival Pamela Anderson's from the late 1990s. Her headgear archive just got another addition: On Dec. 2 at the annual Fashion Awards, staged by the British Fashion Council at London's Royal Albert Hall, Rihanna wore a vibrant turquoise hat paired to a Slurpee-blue fur dress with an exposed bra peeking out. The piece draped over her shoulders like a stole before wrapping in an asymmetric hem at the front; a semi-sheer, sequin-coated train peeked out from the back. Her look came courtesy of Christian Lacroix's Fall 2002 collection—with an assist from her stylist, Jahleel Weaver.
Rihanna walked the red carpet in her brightest blue furs to honor her longtime partner, A$AP Rocky, who received the Cultural Innovator Award. He chose a much more dialed-back look for the evening, consisting of a blue oversize suit jacket and slacks with a red bow-tie peeking out from underneath.
While A$AP Rocky was scheduled to take the spotlight later in the evening, Rihanna's decadent blue furs won the carpet heading into the theatre. It works exactly because it's over-the-top in a way only Rihanna could pull off. Who else has reason to layer diamond necklaces, Maria Tash earrings, and leather opera gloves with an Ice Queen's blue fur dress and hat?
The look responsible for the start of Rihanna's blue fur period is one of many vintage moments she's orchestrated this year. I salute this one specifically for bringing a much-needed dose of big hat energy back to the red carpet.
