Rihanna’s Met Gala 2023 Valentino Bridal Moment—Finished With Hidden Gianvito Rossi Heels

On May 1, 2023, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Rihanna returned to the Met Gala with a presence that once again reaffirmed her place among the event’s most defining style figures—this time alongside her partner A$AP Rocky.

Arriving fashionably late, the singer embraced the evening’s theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, with a look that balanced couture drama and deliberate restraint—allowing craftsmanship, proportion, and subtle footwear details to carry the impact rather than excess embellishment.

Fashionably Late: Valentino Couture & White Lace-Up Heels

Even beneath layers of silk faille and a sweeping train, her choice of white pointed-toe pumps with wraparound satin laces reinforced a recurring truth of Rihanna’s red-carpet style: when the clothes command attention, the shoes refine the story.

The moment felt less like a return and more like a continuation—another chapter in a Met Gala legacy defined not by spectacle alone, but by thoughtful styling decisions that remain relevant long after the flashbulbs fade.

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna arrive fashionably late at the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023, with Rihanna’s dramatic Valentino gown concealing custom white lace-up Gianvito Rossi heels beneath its sweeping train (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)

Camellia Couture: Hooded Cape & Five-Meter Train

Building upon her status as a true icon, Rihanna solidified her place as a fashion queen at the event, stunning everyone with her arrival in a breathtaking white Valentino bridal gown.

The gown featured a stunning 3D camellia-embroidered hooded cape that elegantly wrapped around her head and torso, creating a dramatic and unforgettable entrance.

As per the house’s Instagram post, the silk-faille gown was specially designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli for Rihanna. It featured 30 camellias, 500 petals, and 25 leaves and was crafted by 30 seamstresses.

It also had a 5-meter-long train that nearly covered the famous staircase at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Rihanna wearing a white Valentino bridal gown with a 3D camellia flower-embroidered hooded cape and a 5-meter-long train (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)

Cape Off: The Baby Bump Reveal

The soon-to-be mama of two later removed the cape, revealing a fitted bodice highlighting her growing baby bump. It had delicate spaghetti straps, a plunging neckline, and a matching rosette adornment.

Rihanna made a stunning appearance in an exquisite white bridal gown at the Met Gala 2023, proudly flaunting her baby bump on fashion’s grandest night (Credit: Doug Peters / PA Images / INSTARimages)

Beneath the Gown: Custom Gianvito Rossi Heels

While mostly hidden beneath the sweep of her gown, Rihanna’s footwear was no less intentional: custom white Gianvito Rossi lace-up stilettos adorned with a camellia detail echoed the floral motifs of her Valentino look, adding a refined, couture-level finish from the ground up.

A fan of the celebrated Italian luxury shoe designer, Rihanna also stepped out in a long black LaQuan Smith dress paired with Gianvito Rossi “Montecarlo” sandals featuring crystal-encrusted toes and ankle ties during A$AP Rocky’s birthday celebration in New York City.

Final Details: Beauty, Jewelry & Karl Lagerfeld Tributes

Sticking to the evening’s theme, Rihanna paid homage to the late Karl Lagerfeld with fingerless gloves and bizarre white cat-eye sunglasses adorned with false eyelashes.

Rihanna showcases her growing baby bump in the white gown that features a rosette-adorned plunging neckline and thin spaghetti straps (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)

Kudos to stylist Jahleel Weaver for creating Rihanna’s look, which was finished with Bulgari High Jewelry.

The Barbadian beauty upped the ante with camellia-shaped pearl earrings and a gorgeous platinum necklace set with 118 Akoya cultured pearls and different kinds of diamonds, including five pear diamonds, seven pear diamonds, 109 round diamonds, 561 fancy shape diamonds, and pave-set diamonds.

When it came to her beauty look, Rihanna kept it simple yet stunning, opting for bold red lips and a gorgeous half-up, half-down hairstyle that showcased her raven locks.

Rihanna adds a pop of bold red lip color to her all-white bridal look and wears a pair of sunglasses with false eyelashes (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)

A$AP Rocky, on the other hand, recreated an iconic look worn by Lagerfeld at his Spring/Summer 2005 fashion presentation.

The rapper’s Gucci ensemble featured a white dress shirt, a black blazer with a silver brooch, and a high-low red kilt layered over a pair of embellished baggy jeans.

He completed the outfit with a black tie, a stack of belts, a black fingerless glove, and Gucci leather boots with silver-tone toe caps.

A$AP Rocky recreates Karl Lagerfeld’s 2005 look with a Gucci high-low kilt, embellished jeans, white shirt, and black blazer (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)

Rihanna’s Shoe Legacy, One Defining Moment at a Time

From headline-making Met Gala entrances to off-duty maternity style and archival red-carpet moments, Rihanna’s fashion influence has always been anchored from the ground up.

Whether her shoes take center stage or quietly complete a couture look, they consistently reveal how intention, proportion, and confidence define her approach to style.

For a broader look at how footwear continues to shape her most memorable fashion moments, explore more standout appearances below.