Rihanna Paid Sweet Tribute to This Late Fashion Icon at the Super Bowl

February 15, 2023 E Jazz Reporter

Artistes

The pop star sent a message with the bright red sleeping bag coat she donned for her grand finale.

Rihanna performs at halftime during Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

Adam Bow/Icon Sportswire via GI

Rihanna‘s red-hot ensemble at the 2023 Super Bowl set the fashion world aflame, but it turns out part of her outfit had a particularly special meaning.

Partway through her 13-minute set, the “We Found Love” hitmaker donned a bright red sleeping bag coat by Alaïa for the finale of 2007’s “Umbrella” followed by 2012’s “Diamonds.” And if the glamorous floor-length outerwear looked familiar, it’s because it was a tender homage to André Leon Talley — the late Vogue editor-at-large who passed away in Jan. 2022 and was known to wear his favorite Norma Kamali coat in the same style and hue.

The people running Talley’s still-active Instagram account took note of the tribute and posted a side-by-side of the two looks with the caption, “When the sun shines, we’ll shine together. Told you I’ll be here forever… said I’ll always be your friend” and tagged RiRi with a red balloon emoji.

Rihanna and Talley have a shared history when it comes to fashion as well. For much of the 2010s, the latter was a beloved fixture on the carpet for the Met Gala, where he would interview A-listers for Vogue.com about their personal interpretation of the annual theme set by Anna Wintour. In 2015, he bonded with Rihanna over the jaw-dropping gown she wore in honor of the “China: Through the Looking Glass” exhibition.

“Queen of the night! Break it up, it’s not enough. Beautiful! This moment, this fantasy, I’m dreaming. How did this happen? It’s so beautiful!” Talley raved at the time, later adding, “You are so inspiring to so many people. You’re going to inspire people in this dress…I love you! Can’t wait to see you on stage!”

Compare Talley’s signature coat with Rihanna’s Super Bowl look below.

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