Rihanna Wore Balenciaga To The 2025 Gotham Film Awards

As you know, I’ve been firmly team Balenciaga ever since Pierpaolo Piccioli stepped in and steered the house back toward a sense of romance and sculptural elegance that felt worthy of its legacy. So when Rihanna stepping onto the 2025 Gotham Film Awards red carpet in a custom look inspired by the Spring 2026 collection, it should be a win, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

Rihanna has never been afraid to take risks — in fact, that’s what made so many of her early red carpet eras exhilarating. But it has been quite a while since she’s delivered something that genuinely stopped me in my tracks.

The look transported me straight back to that phase when she favoured oversized, shapeless dresses that swallowed her figure and muted the attitude that normally defines her style. On the runway, this sculpted silhouette had a certain charm, but here it loses structure and direction. The dress pools awkwardly, the gloves feel so forced, and the feathered hat isn’t adding mystery — it feels like she’s hiding behind it. In embarrassment.

I will say the necklace is beautiful — it’s the one element that carries the kind of confidence and glamour that Rihanna has always worn so effortlessly.

But the rest? Tragic.

This should’ve been a standout fashion moment for her, and instead it left me nostalgic for the Rihanna who once redefined the red carpet.

Briony Raymond Sloan Pavé diamond ear cuff completed her look.

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