Rihanna and A$AP Rocky delivered the closing moment of the 2026 Met Gala, arriving fashionably late in what has become one of the event’s most reliable annual traditions, with the singer drawing gasps in an extraordinary hand-crafted gown as her partner showered her in praise on the red carpet.
Rihanna wore a Maison Margiela creation featuring over 115,000 crystal beads and antique jewels, with a sculpted bodice and bronze hooded cape that took more than 1,380 hours to make.
She walked arm-in-arm with Rocky, who wore a pink robe over his tuxedo, arriving over an hour after the rest of the A-list guests had entered and after the official Vogue livestream had already concluded.
Rocky’s pink ensemble was a custom Chanel design with black satin lapels and matching piping. The choice of colour was widely interpreted as a nod to the couple’s daughter, Rocki Irish Mayers, born in September 2025.
Speaking on the carpet, Rocky was effusive about his partner, saying she is both “the art and the artist” in the context of the evening’s “Costume Art” theme. He described her as “shining like a diamond” and reflected on what it means to be loved by a Black woman, saying “it feels amazing” and that “nothing else compares.”
The couple are parents to three children: sons RZA, born in 2022, and Riot, born in 2023, as well as daughter Rocki. Their appearance at the 2026 gala also marked their first major public carpet moment since surviving a shooting at their Los Angeles home in March.
At last year’s Met Gala, where Rocky served as a co-chair, the couple used the iconic museum steps to announce Rihanna’s third pregnancy. Monday’s appearance added another chapter to what has become one of the most celebrated Met Gala histories of any attendee.
