9 Things You Need to Know About Rihanna’s Fashion Week Debut

There was buzz, to be sure, though not as much as the hysteria that surrounded Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 3 show at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Did RiRi live up to the hype? Read on to find out.

1. Pretty much everything about the show was in black and white. Nearly all the 40-some gothleisure looks, with the exception of a pop of yellow in a pair of heels, a fuzzy gray handwarmer/backpack, and a couple of red spots on some jackets, were shown in either black or white. Same went for the set design, lighting, and the hair and makeup — even the models’ lips were coated in a vampy black shade.

2. Rihanna showed up before the show in a lace maxi dress and an oversize hoodie, presumably from the collection. She had an outfit change for her bow, another massive hoodie.

3. The show was supposed to start at 8 p.m. EST, but at that point, only 10 percent of the room was full. That’s standard stuff for Fashion Week, but somewhat anxiety-inducing for the thousands of fans who were waiting by their phones and computers for the show to begin. The house lights finally went down at 8:32 p.m., which is basically on time as far as these things go.

4. The Navy tuned in. The show live-streamed on both Periscope and Facebook, with a total of 65,000 or so people watching.

5. About that runway: There were trees. And there were lightning bolts flashing everywhere. The models walked on a huge LED display and the ceiling was mirrored, which made for a cool effect.5. About that runway: There were trees. And there were lightning bolts flashing everywhere. The models walked on a huge LED display and the ceiling was mirrored, which made for a cool effect.

6. The “lightning” possibly explains the shock of white on the top of everyone’s heads. You know, struck-by-lightning hair. Or bird poop hair, as people were jokingly calling it in the audience.6. The “lightning” possibly explains the shock of white on the top of everyone’s heads. You know, struck-by-lightning hair. Or bird poop hair, as people were jokingly calling it in the audience.

7. Naomi Campbell didn’t walk in the show, but she was there. Wearing a huge white fur-trimmed coat, as Naomi Campbell does.

8. There were no Kardashians present. Or Jenners, for that matter. All that love went to Yeezy Season 3 yesterday.

9. After the show ended and Rihanna took her bow, guests were presented with glasses of Champagne. But most people left the show pretty quickly once it was over.

Cosmopolitan