Rihanna has received a lot of attention (see coverage of the “Family Guy” meme here, her twerking here and a red carpet interview here) for the Adam Selman-designed Swarovski-covered dress she wore to the CFDA Awards on Monday night.
Though less attention was paid to the crystal do-rag she wore, it’s significant as it speaks to her status as a style maven in multiple ways.
First off, it was her concept, which matters because it’s often said her look is the product of a team of stylists. According to Selman, they came up with the idea for the dress as a team and she came up with do-rag. Selman explained to Style, “[The do-rag] brings such a Rihanna feel to the whole thing. It seals the deal.”
As well, the idea to accessorize the dress with a do-rag perfectly expresses her appreciation for the beauty of all aspects of black culture, which she’s always brought with her and celebrated in her rise to fame. It’s a border free mindset, whereby all pieces of the puzzle have the same potential for statement making. Openness to all has always been the cornerstone to her approach in fashion and it’s made her the queen of high/low dressing.
In addition to the cultural celebration, the do-rag reflects a willingness to take risks and flout the rules, but at the same time not take herself so seriously. As she stated during her CFDA acceptance speech, fashion should be fun.
The glam head covering also reflects her willingness to make her own rules, unbowed by public opinion, a key personality trait for any style maven. Remember that the decision to wear a do-rag came after she received a barrage of criticism for wearing a doobie wrap, again, her idea to the AMA Awards in December 2013.
Deeply creative, in touch with and proud of her culture, while also willing to take chances and march to the beat of her own drum, these are the qualities reflected by a crystal do-rag and why Rihanna is capable of regularly setting social media ablaze and is this era’s biggest trend setter.
