Some people dress up for Carnival. Then there's Rihanna, who IS the carnival.
The singer, beauty mogul, mother of three and billionaire returned to her homeland to take part in Grand Kadooment Day, the culminating event of the annual Crop Over festival, which marks the end of the sugar cane harvest season in Barbados. Surrounded by friends, Rihanna also marched with the Aura band, which includes her brother, Rorrey Fenty.
Rihanna's over-the-top look was designed by Barbadian designer Lauren Austin, who has been behind many of the singer's Crop Over outfits since 2013. The ensemble featured a crystal-studded bodysuit, tassels, an enormous headpiece (Magneto from X-Men would have been jealous) and a dramatic feather train that made it clear who the day's main attraction was.
As expected, social media was flooded within minutes with photos and videos of Bad Gal Rihanna dancing, waving to the crowd and celebrating with the thousands of festivalgoers. The festival is considered one of Barbados' biggest and most iconic events, and authorities deployed soldiers and police officers to help protect Rihanna and ensure no one got too close to the national treasure.
For the singer, the appearance has become something of a tradition, allowing her both to celebrate her roots and shine a spotlight on local designers. In a 2017 interview with Vogue, Austin said of working with Rihanna: "She's not afraid to wear what she wants, whenever she wants."
The trip to Barbados comes after an especially busy period for Robyn Fenty, Rihanna's legal name. She recently celebrated her son Riot's third birthday on the island with a Spider-Man-themed party alongside her partner, A$AP Rocky. The couple, who are also parents to RZA and Rocki, arrived in Barbados after spending time in New York, where Rihanna attended Jay-Z's sold-out shows marking the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were later spotted at another event in Barbados, where the singer showed off what the original article jokingly described as "Olympic-level twerking skills," making it difficult for those in attendance to focus on much else happening around them. We wish Rihanna a wonderful visit home — and good luck fitting that outfit into a suitcase.