It might be in the 30°Cs in New York this week, but Rihanna isn't one to let a small matter like the weather dictate her fashion choices. The singer has put away her summer wardrobe, and is now hibernating in the humidity in puffer coats and boots from the AW16 collections. Last night in New York, Rihanna took her see now, wear now styling to new sweaty heights, and wrapped up in a fox fur coat.
The red coat was one of the stand out pieces from Saint Laurent's 80s inspired AW16 collection and plays with one of YSL's signature motifs - the heart. The fox fur coat is shaped like a perfect love heart thanks to the oversized shoulder pads and tapered silhouette.
The runway piece has serious fashion significance, given it was from Hedi Slimane's last ever collection for Saint Laurent, but this slice of history comes with a hefty price tag and is available to purchase on MyTheresa for £9,565.
You might see Rihanna's love-heart coat choice as a reference to the fact that she recently went public with her relationship with the rapper Drake. On stage at the VMAs in August he declared that he had loved her since they were 22 and this week the couple unveiled matching dolphin tattoos.
However Rihanna explained why she is really wearing a love heart coat, and it had nothing to do with her relationship status. On Instagram, she posted a picture of her outfit alongside the caption 'I heart New York.' How very Carrie Bradshaw of her.
Saint Laurent's AW16 collection was significant, not only because it was Slimane's last for the house, but because it also marked the reinstating of the label's haute couture atelier. The Telegraph's Fashion Director Lisa Armstrong wrote at the time: "Is this couture or demi-couture? The house hasn’t yet decided what to call it but it falls under the umbrella name of Saint Laurent Paris. Whatever, it needs to be seen up-close. So instead of Slimane’s usual black-out, blaring rock music and front row of slightly superannuated teenagers swigging champagne from bottles, there was blinding chandelier light."
"Slimane looked to Saint Laurent’s 1980s archives and a rather literal but cheekily amusing interpretation: teeny metallic mini skirts, one shouldered tops with huge bows, or one sleeve trimmed with shark-fin ruffles, pleated black leather trousers, wide belts, furry chubby coats with vast, built up shoulders and classic sky-high pumps.... . After repeated complaints (including from yours truly) that Slimane’s ready-to-wear often looked cheap or didn’t fit the models properly, this was technically impressive."
This isn't the only statement piece Rihanna has got her hands on from the AW16 collections. It is only the first week of September and she has already carried the Gucci Ghost tote and worn Vetements' thigh high boots and a number of pieces from the buzzed-about Balenciaga collection, including the denim jackets and puffer coats. We're sure that Rihanna's AW16 fashion showcase won't stop here...