Did the Met make a statue of Rihanna? 2022 Vogue-inspired tribute to the rapper explored

Rihanna has left a lasting mark in the music industry. The Umbrella singer has an estimated networth of $1.7 billion that is primarily because of the success of Fenty Beauty and her music collection over the last two decades. The 36-year-old has also been a fashion icon and has attended the Met Gala as far back as 2007.

The singer, actress and entrepreneur has also been honored by a marble statue of her at The Met Gala in 2022.

In a total of 10 appearances, RiRi also appeared on the carpet and flaunted her pregnant belly in 2023. While fashionably late, RiRi arrived with her partner, A$AP Rocky and wore a flamboyant white gown to honor the theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.

Gucci - Front Row - Milan Fashion Week Exquisite Gucci. (Photo by Jacopo M. Raule/Getty Images for Gucci)

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How was Rihanna honored by the Met Gala?

Rihanna's fashion has evolved through the years. She is one of the biggest trendsetters in Hollywood. In 2022, the singer was honored at the Met Gala with a marble statue inspired by her Vogue 2022 cover. For the magazine cover, she wore a strapless orange one-piece with intricate designs. She also took to her Instagram account to share the cover image with her fans.

The Where Have You Been singer shared the tribute in an Instagram video that showed her statue was placed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greco-Roman display. She captioned the post:

"Shut down the met in marble! what's more gilded than that? Lol! Thank you @metmuseum and @voguemagazine for this historic tribute! y'all bad for this one!"

The video was also shared by Vogue on their Instagram to pay tribute to Rihanna. The caption said:

"The statue of "Eirene (The Personification of Peace)" is usually the highest-profile marble goddess @themetmuseum Greco-Roman galleries. But now we've got @badgalriri, straight off this month's Vogue cover."

The beauty mogul has been on a personal mission to redefine fashion during pregnancy. In the interview with Vogue, RiRi revealed that she hopes to redefine what's considered decent for pregnant women.

"My body is doing incredible things right now, and I'm not going to be ashamed of that. This time should feel celebratory. Because why should you be hiding your pregnancy?" she said.

In a recent interview with BBC in 2024, Rihanna revealed that during her first pregnancy she would wear heels and get experimental with her fashion. However, with her second, she wanted to be in her comfortable "PJs."

After pregnancy, RiRi is ready to "play" again with fashion. The singer has sported various looks that solidify her role as a role-model in the fashion world. Even without making a presence at the 2022 show, RiRi's image has been etched in the Met world.

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Met Gala's honor for Rihanna is a testament to her career as a musician and fashion icon. Rihanna's fashion has experienced an evolution in the last two decades. While in the initial years her looks were often influenced by her music and experimentation, more recently she is on a mission to redefine maternity fashion. While RiRi was absent during Met Gala 2022 and more recently 2024, the singer has created history with her statue at the Metropolitan Museum.