While Rihanna is undoubtedly one of the most stylish people in the galaxy, she wants to use her powers for good. Enter the revival of her beloved collaboration with PUMA, which was originally stocked from 2014 to 2018, before it was reintroduced last March. The centerpiece of FENTY x PUMA was and remains the fat-soled Creeper, a ’90s throwback which returned to shelves in late November. And on Monday night in Los Angeles, Rihanna sported the lavender and cherry red version of the shoe with a matching purple leather jacket and fuzzy Grimace-but-make-it-fashion sleeves. She was just giving the people what they wanted.
“[The Creeper]’s a fan favorite, and the fans have wanted to bring it back since the last drop,” Rihanna told ELLE.com. Luckily, her fans are accustomed to waiting on the Bad Gal’s releases. “It’s what everyone has asked me for, ‘When are you going to give us a Creeper?’ We decided to bring it back bigger and badder,” she added. The new shoe is literally bigger and badder than it was during Rihanna’s first run at PUMA. In fact, her signature sneaker’s been rechristened the Creeper Phatty, a fitting nod to its puffed-up proportions. Even the laces on the shoe are looking thiccer these days.
Rihanna at the FENTY x PUMA sneaker launch party at NeueHouse Hollywood.
These are the items Rihanna gifts to us mere mortals: the stylish contributions we can steal and make our own (along with the shoes, her massive gem earrings are going on my own personal mood board). But there are some looks that only Rihanna—the swaggering one-of-one megastar—can pull off. When asked about her absolute favorite outfit of all time, Rihanna barely hesitated. “There are two different worlds that I created,” she started, before continuing, “one was butt-naked with jewels and crystals all over me for the CFDA Awards, and I was like, ‘This is the sexiest moment. Nothing I ever wear will top this.’ Then, right after that, for a performance at the Grammys, I wore a full men’s suit, and I think that encapsulated my entire range of style at the time going from one to the other. It was super authentic to what I was feeling at that time.”
Left: Rihanna at the 2014 CFDA Awards. Right: Rihanna at the 2015 Grammys.
At this point, reshaping culture with her fashion and design aesthetic is par for the course for Rihanna. What’s the most challenging now is what’s waiting for her back at home: her two young boys with A$AP Rocky, RZA and Riot. “Going from one to two is a major, major difference,” she shared. “Balancing two sets of everything. Two different feelings, two different personalities, everything. I think it’s been the most exciting and the most challenging, and I’ve built my world around them and I’m figuring it out and getting better. My friend told me it takes three years, so I’m hopeful.” Eventually, they will also reap the benefits of their mother’s sartorial benevolence—Rihanna said she’s meticulously kept all her looks in an archive to pass down one day.
Chloe Hall oversees all beauty coverage at ELLE.com. She knew she wanted to get into beauty the moment Donna Summer came on her screen and she’s been chasing the perfect disco shadows ever since. Her sweet spot is the intersections of beauty with current culture, whether it’s music, movies, or social media. You can find her in Brooklyn with her pug or in Rihanna’s comment section.