Rihanna’s baby bump steals the show again at Cannes: A look back at her maternity fashion statements

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attended this year's Cannes Festival, which is celebrating its 78th edition. The couple posed on the red carpet but also enjoyed their free time. They had dinner at the Palm Beach restaurant, where this photo was taken as they were leaving. Palm Beach is a luxurious complex founded in 1928 that, in addition to a restaurant, also features a casino, luxury shops, and a club. For the occasion, the Barbadian singer showcased her unique maternity style: she wore an asymmetrical dress with a high slit in the skirt. The dress is a creation by Texan designer Brandon Maxwell, who has dressed other well-known figures such as Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, Nicole Kidman, and Viola Davis.Sam Delpech / Bestimage (Sam Delpech / Bestimage / Cordon Press)

Rihanna also embraced the cut-out trend on the red carpet at Cannes. She posed at the festival while attending the premiere of the film 'Highest 2 Lowest,' a thriller directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington. The movie also features her partner since 2019, rapper A$AP Rocky. Together, they are parents to two children: RZA Athelston, born in May 2022, and Riot Rose, born in August 2023. In early May, they revealed that they are expecting a third child.Gisela Schober (Getty Images)

On the Cannes red carpet, the couple displayed their closeness. He wore a Saint Laurent suit, while she donned a blue asymmetrical dress with side knots by Alaïa, complemented by Boucheron jewelry. For the occasion, she relied on her longtime stylist, Jahleel Weaver, an American of Jamaican-Panamanian descent who served as the creative director of the singer's fashion label, Fenty, from 2019 to 2021. Since her first pregnancy, Rihanna has proudly embraced the journey. “My body is doing incredible things right now, and I’m not going to be ashamed of that. This time should feel celebratory. Because why should you be hiding your pregnancy?” she told the U.S. edition of 'Vogue' in 2022.Anadolu (Anadolu via Getty Images)

Rihanna has proven she knows how to announce her pregnancies in style: she revealed the latest one this past May 5, on the red carpet of the Met Gala. This year’s exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum is titled Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, and the singer and entrepreneur attended in a custom-made outfit by Marc Jacobs, inspired by the evening’s theme — Black dandyism. In the photo, the singer poses alongside British designer Stella McCartney.Kevin Mazur/MG25 (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The)

Fans who gathered at New York’s Carlyle Hotel on May 5 got an early hint of the artist’s pregnancy, hours before her official announcement. She arrived at the hotel wearing a fitted skirt and top set that left her belly exposed, paired with sky-high heels. The singer, who turned 37 on February 20, was born and raised on the Caribbean island of Barbados. In 2003, she moved to the United States to pursue a music career that has since earned her nine Grammy Awards and 34 nominations — starting with her first win in 2008 for one of her most iconic hits, 'Umbrella.'Aeon (GC Images)

This year wasn’t the first time Rihanna has appeared at the Met Gala while pregnant. At the 2023 edition, which honored the legacy of Karl Lagerfeld, she stunned in a white haute couture design by Valentino. Beyond her success in music, Rihanna has become a true style icon — fronting campaigns for major brands like Dior (she’s the face of its J’Adore fragrance), acting in films such as 'Guava Island' (2019) alongside Donald Glover, and establishing herself as a successful entrepreneur with her beauty brand Fenty Beauty, launched in 2017. Her venture into high fashion, Fenty Maison, launched in 2019, wasn’t as successful and closed just two years later, in 2021. However, she continues to run her lingerie line, Savage x Fenty, which she founded in 2018.Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin (GC Images)

Upon arriving at the Met steps in 2023, the artist wore a dramatic cape with a long train covered in flowers, paired with gloves and striking sunglasses — both accessories chosen as a tribute to two of Karl Lagerfeld's favorite signature items.

But the artist did not reveal her second pregnancy at the Met Gala. She did so a few months earlier — on February 12, 2023 — and in spectacular fashion: during the Super Bowl halftime show, held that year at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The singer kicked off her 15-minute performance by descending onto the stage on a suspended platform while singing her track 'Bitch Better Have My Money,' dressed in red. When she removed her voluminous Chanel coat, she revealed a jumpsuit layered over a vinyl corset and a tight-fitting top, a design by Loewe’s creative director, J.W. Anderson.Kevin Mazur (Getty Images for Roc Nation)

During her first pregnancy, she didn’t miss Paris Fashion Week. She attended several shows and events during the city's fashion festivities, including the Off-White Fall-Winter 2022/23 runway show. There, she showcased her go-to formula for such events: form-fitting garments layered with voluminous coats and furs, paired with strappy, sky-high heels.

The artist opted for sheer fabrics to sit in the front row at the Christian Dior show in Paris in March 2022, wearing a naked dress made of lace by the French fashion house. The Barbadian singer has reflected several times on how she approaches her maternity looks. “To me, that dress is actually the closest thing to maternity clothes that I’ve worn so far,” she responded in 'Vogue' in 2022 when asked about the criticism sparked by her choice. WWD (Penske Media via Getty Images)

One year later, in March 2023, Rihanna attended the 95th Academy Awards ceremony. She was nominated for Best Original Song for 'Lift Me Up,' which was part of the 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' soundtrack. For the occasion, she chose a design reminiscent of her Super Bowl outfit, featuring a corset over a fitted bodice. It was an Alaïa dress with a leather skirt.Lexie Moreland (WWD via Getty Images)

After the ceremony, she posed with A$AP Rocky backstage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Her mint green skirt and top set by Bottega Veneta emphasized her baby bump.

During the Oscars ceremony, the singer took the stage to perform 'Lift Me Up,' a song written to pay tribute to the late actor Chadwick Boseman, who had portrayed Black Panther in the Marvel film saga. For the performance, she changed outfits, wearing an embroidered and sheer Maison Margiela Artisanal piece created for her by John Galliano.

Rihanna hasn’t only shown off her pregnancies on red carpets — she’s also put her unique stamp on more relaxed looks, like this outfit she wore while strolling through Los Angeles in March 2023: jeans and a cropped rugby polo. Since her first pregnancy, she was determined to keep her personal style and continue having fun with fashion throughout the process. As she explained in the interview accompanying her 'Vogue' cover: "When I found out I was pregnant, I thought to myself, There’s no way I’m going to go shopping in no maternity aisle. I’m sorry — it’s too much fun to get dressed up. I’m not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing.”thecelebrityfinder/Bauer-Griffin (GC Images)