Rihanna
speaks onstage at the 2014 CFDA fashion awards at Alice Tully Hall,
Lincoln Center on June 2, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by D
Dipasupil/Getty Images)
I was at the event, and in person, the sheer fabric blended
beautifully with her skin tone, creating a nude effect without blatantly
exposing her breasts. However, under the glare of flash bulbs and
spotlights, the dress bared all, and the exquisite effect of the
Swarovski-covered dress blending with the pop star’s already radiant
skin simply vanished.
Even so, it takes more than nipples to scare a fashion crowd. After
all, bras and pasties are not exactly required underpinnings at runway
shows. And most designers who were at the event can likely recall a time
they’ve sent a model out in a translucent top.
“I’m here tonight to talk about how Rihanna communicates through
fashion because that, of course, is what style icons do,” said Anna
Wintour, who presented Rihanna with the CFDA’s fashion icon award. “They
tell us captivating stories about themselves and about the world we
live in through the boldness and beauty of their clothes.
“Rihanna speaks to her fans with her every look,” Wintour continued.
“And what she says to them, and I include all of us in that group, is
that it’s fun to be a little boyish one day and dress up like a dazzling
diva the next, I think that is what she was going for tonight.
“The point is to be audacious, even jaw dropping or button pushing.
And yes, we know she enjoys pushing buttons, while remaining true to
yourself. She proves that incredible style can help take a young woman
from a small island to the world stage and along the way spark a lot of
conversation about elegance and empowerment.”
Mel Ottenberg, who helped dress Rihanna, told Style.com en route to the awards ceremony that it was a bit naked.
“I don’t know if it’s shocking — I’m with her all the time, so my
shock gauge is off, but I told her that I thought she was ready for this
dress a while ago, and that I wasn’t. I’m the prude, and I’m just catching up.”
Ottenberg’s boyfriend and frequent Rihanna collaborator, Adam Selman,
designed the look, which Ottenberg said was held together by “fishnet
and crystals and a couple of fingers crossed.” Selman has created
costumes for Rihanna’s tours since 2011, and co-designed her River
Island capsule collection.
[See the sketches of Rihanna's dress and exclusive interview at Style.com.]
Perhaps the most marvelous thing — and fitting for her role as
fashion icon — was Rihanna’s relative ease in the sheer ensemble. She
glided into the auditorium after most guests had been ushered to their
seats, stooping down to hug founder’s award recipient Bethann Hardison, chatting easily with Blake Lively and warmly greeting Lupita Nyong’o, who sat a few seats down.
If boundary-pushing fashion takes the courage to bare it all, then Rihanna has style in spades.
