Rihanna Brings a Bad Girl Edge to Motorsport Leather
Fashion’s ascent into the world of F1 racing hit a fever pitch this weekend with stars like Kylie Minogue, Paris Hilton, and Brad Pitt venturing to Las Vegas for the city’s inaugural Grand Prix. Racing out in front in front though was the ultimate bad girl, Rihanna, who debuted not one, but two, edgy looks for the weekend’s slate of festivities.
Rihanna took Sin City by storm on Friday night to attend the launch of Puma’s partnership with F1 along with her boyfriend A$AP Rocky (who was recently named as creative director of the collaboration). The mogul stepped out in an longline brown coat from Prada’s spring/summer 2024 collection complete with utility detailing. She gave the look a softer touch with layers of diamond necklaces and earrings and patent leather open-toe heels from Giuseppe Zanotti.
The following day, Rihanna continued her embrace of leather as she stepped out in her version of the classic motorsport look. The star hit the town in a black oversized jacket from Balenciaga’s spring/summer 2024 collection that looked like it was plucked from one of the racer’s wardrobes. And while, yes, F1 drivers often sport similarly padded jackets, Rihanna gave hers a different feel via a few styling hacks.
Underneath, she layered a black pair of Balenciaga pantaboots—a style she’s been wearing quite a lot recently. Rihanna continued the all-black feel with a zip-up hoodie and gave the look a more evening-time edge with jewels courtesy of Messika. She wore a pearl-encrusted choker necklace, flashy earrings, and a silver anklet that she layered on top of her pantaboots. To round out the look, Rihanna donned shield sunglasses from Ambush, a bold red lip, and swept her newly unveiled honey blonde hair into a side part style complete with loose waves.
Dressing to attend a sporting event is sometimes a double edged sword. Looking like you’re trying to cosplay as said athlete borders on the absurd, while appearing out of place in some off-theme ensemble is, likely, even worse. But even as Rihanna pulled out a race-appropriate moto jacket, she made it entirely her own. And of course, we wouldn’t expect anything less.
