Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Make Carpet Debut as a Couple (in Matching Comforter Coats!) at 2021 Met Gala
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Rihanna should teach a masterclass in Met Gala dressing.
The multi-hyphenate star pulled out all the style stops once again at the Met's 2021 gala, leaving jaws dropping — and social media exploding — with her custom look.
Rihanna dressed in a gigantic sculptural coat dress, featuring a high collar and flared hem, that she accessorized with over 267 carats of Bulgari jewels, plus a Thelma West ring and Maria Tash earrings. A$AP Rocky walked the carpet with his girlfriend, wrapped in a multicolor quilted blanket look.
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The duo have been photographed posing on the carpet together before officially becoming a couple, most memorably at the 2019 Fashion Awards in London. But this marks their official debut after PEOPLE confirmed their relationship in November 2020, nearly a year after Rihanna split from her boyfriend of three years Hassan Jameel in January 2020.
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The couple's connection "evolved" from a friendship into a "solid romance," a source told PEOPLE in August about music's favorite new couple.
"This romance evolved since they were friends first. They already knew and respected each other and it has just grown from there," the music source explained, adding that their initial friendship allowed for them to "build a great foundation."
"They loved to laugh and have a blast together before they even dated," the source added. "All of that makes for a solid romance now."
The superstar and business mogul took a brief hiatus from the Met spotlight in 2019, skipping the fashion event to focus on her Fenty Beauty empire.
As an event co-chair in 2018, the megastar perfectly embodied the "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" theme in a custom ornate papal mitre (a ceremonial head-dress of bishops), worn with an opulently bejeweled, strapless mini dress and matching collared robe by Maison Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano.
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In 2017, Rihanna commanded attention on the iconic Met steps wearing a straight-off-the-runway ensemble by the gala's honoree, Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo, pairing the look with lace-up red heels that she famously said took "an hour to get into."
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But her most meme-worthy, jaw-dropping look (which might be the most memorable in Met Gala history) came in 2015. For the "China: Through the Looking Glass" event, Rihanna actually shut down the red carpet in a sweeping, custom yellow ball gown by Guo Pei, which boasted such a long train that it nearly covered the entire staircase entrance of the museum.
Met Gala event organizers have issued a vaccination mandate and mask requirement for all attending the benefit.
"Currently, all attendees at The Met Gala on Sept. 13 must provide proof of full vaccination and will also be expected to wear masks indoors except when eating or drinking," a spokesperson for The Met confirmed to PEOPLE. "We will update these guidelines as needed."
