She was conspicuously absent from the Met Gala earlier this week, and now we think we know why…
Rihanna’s daring fashion choices mightn’t always be to everyone’s taste, but this is of no consequence given how consistently her style is endorsed by fashion industry heavy hitters. She was the recipient of a CFDA Style Icon Award in 2014, she was the face of Dior’s ‘Secret Garden’ campaign in 2015, she’s a front-row shoo-in at any and every fashion show, and if she isn’t the most prolific magazine cover-girl of the past decade, well, it certainly feels that way.
Not just a follower of fashion, Rihanna also has some impressive design credentials. The queen of the fashion collab has produced collections in conjunction with sockwear label Stance, British chain store River Island, and of course Puma, for whom she became creative director and brand ambassador in 2014.
All of which is to say her brand new collection for Manolo Blahnik – dropping on May 5 – isn’t her first time at the rodeo. It isn’t even her first foray into footwear – we’re betting you haven’t even peeled the sticker off the bottom of those fluffy, Fenty x Puma slides you rushed out and bought last month.
It is, however, her most high-end designer collab to date. Having previously only partnered with high-street brands, Rihanna sought out the undisputed Godfather of footwear to create a six-piece capsule collection of denim stilettos with a starting price point of US $895. Heavily embellished with designs that reference the singer’s intricate henna tattoos (apparently Manolo’s idea), the ‘Denim Desserts’ collection is ghetto fabulous meets rhinestone cowgirl – extremely playful but, like BadGalRiri herself, incredibly sexy.
Of course, no piece is sexier than the eye-watering ‘9-5’ boot. The classification ‘thigh-high’ doesn’t even do justice to this item, which can only be described as a boot/skinny jean/chap hybrid. But are they wearable? If you want to find out, be prepared to hit up a Manolo Blahnik boutique in London, New York, or Hong Kong, and shell out the US $3,995. You may be rewarded if you do. “The day I see a woman in the street wearing my shoes,” Riri told Vogue UK in April, “I am sorry for that woman because I’m going to literally run after her, shouting, ‘Stop! Selfie! Who are you? Where did you get them?’”
If, however, such a purchase is prohibited by geography, cost, or err, taste, fear not. The singer is rumoured to be working with Dior on a range of sunglasses, and chances are they’ll be easier to work into your wardrobe.
