Rihanna Was By Far the Year’s Coolest Mom

If 2023 had a Cool Mom Award, it would go to Rihanna. The new mom—she and A$AP Rocky share two sons together, 1-year-old RZA and four-month-old Riot—hasn’t sacrificed one iota of personal style since taking on her busy parenting schedule. In fact, the superstar’s distinctive wardrobe somehow got cooler. This year, the singer and business mogul has repeatedly stepped out in forward-thinking looks, making some of her highest-impact fashion statements during her second pregnancy. Once again, she redefined the idea of maternity style. In honor, Vogue is taking a look back at some of Rihanna’s very best fashion moments.

What made Rihanna’s approach to mom style so impeccable? Earlier in the year, while expecting her second child, she rebuked the idea that pregnancy dressing has to be conservative or even comfortable—instead, she went for skin-tight mini skirts, sky-high stilettos, and crop tops that exposed her baby bump. (A styling move she nailed during her first pregnancy.) There’s no better example of this than at the 2023 Super Bowl, where she performed wearing a custom Loewe red jumpsuit with a molded bustier—and her Alaïa puffer coat unzipped to reveal her bump. At the 2023 Oscars, she performed wearing a custom Margiela bandeau bra accentuated with strands of crystals. (Shining bright like a diamond, to quote herself.)

Another of her most memorable maternity moments this year? When she and A$AP Rocky stole the show at the 2023 Karl Lagerfeld-themed Met Gala. Rihanna wore a custom Valentino Haute Couture silk faille dress featuring a cape covered in 30 giant camellia appliqués. The drama! She was hours late to the carpet, and it was worth every minute we had to wait for her appearance.

Even after Rihanna gave birth to her second son, Riot, the superstar continued to deliver fashion-forward outfits that stray from the pack. This fall, she hit the streets in everything from sports jerseys and her own Fenty x Puma sneakers, to your grandma’s pearls paired with baggy jeans. Whatever the look, Rihanna has that inimitable ability to juxtapose clashing pieces together in a way that feels elevated and fresh. If she passes down one thing to her children, it’s clearly going to be killer style.

Below, even more of Rihanna’s best looks of the year.