Rihanna recap of the 2016 MTV VMAs: A lot of labels on display - but not hers
With so much style worth profiling on the way into Sunday night’s MTV Video Music Awards, we never got around to focusing on what was being worn (or not worn) by the folks inside Madison Square Garden – particularly Rihanna, whose multiple performances as well as being honored with the Video Vanguard Award afforded plenty of screen time for a handful of fashion brands.
When RiRi took to the stage the first time, she was clad in a custom Hood by Air ensemble that included a custom pink “Cookie Ringer” T-shirt body suit. Finishing off the look were a Hearts on Fire diamond necklace, Lydia Courteille ruby rings, Cutler and Gross sunglasses and Comme des Garcons shoes.
Performance No. 2 found her kitted out in a pair of black Alexandre Vauthier pants, a pink, fur-trimmed bra by Rosamosario and a white T-shirt (or part of one anyway), which multiple reports credit to Adam Selman. (Alas, the provenance of the black mesh do-rag atop her head is unknown.)
Wardrobe-wise RiRi went collaboration heavy for her third performance of the night, pairing a black Vetements X Juicy Couture bodysuit with long sleeves and padded shoulders (if you look close enough in some photos, you can see the word “Juicy” emblazoned in sparkly letters down the left arm of the outfit) paired with hip-high Vetements X Manolo Blahnik boots.
For her final performance of the evening — and to accept the Video Vanguard Award from Drake (who frankly looked sharper than he had a right to in his peak-lapel Tom Ford tuxedo) Rihanna turned out in an Alexandre Vauthier tan silk collared gown with grommet-detailed belt and shoes from the label’s Fall / Winter 2016 Haute Couture collection.
Almost as notable as what the singer did wear was what she didn’t wear. In an era of celebrity clothing lines where an observation like: “Ryan Seacrest is wearing himself on the red carpet” actually makes sense, and barely nine days before her fall Fenty by Rihanna collaboration with Puma is set to hit retail, the singer didn’t use the 2016 VMAs as a platform for clothing-brand-building synergy.
Which, in our book, makes her a totally different kind of vanguard.
For more musings on all things fashion and style, follow me @ARTschorn.
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