Rihanna’s Stylist Had to “Stalk PR” for That Dress

It must be said that when Rihanna walked in (late, as per her wont) to the Grammys in a voluminous pink Giambattista Valli Couture gown that almost every other outfit that had previously traipsed the red carpet became obsolete. It was definitely one of those red carpet moments to remember. Yahoo Style caught up with her stylist and fashion guru, Mel Ottenberg, to discuss the lengths he had to go to secure that frock and why the Maison Margiela Artisanal collection is magical.

Yahoo Style: That dress, wow. Just wow.
Mel Ottenberg: I wanted Rihanna to wear something from the Haute Couture shows in January that nobody else would be thinking about. That dress spoke to me and it spoke to Rihanna, and I just sort of knew that was the one.

YS: What did you like about it?
MO: All I cared about was doing a different silhouette. And nothing safe or minimal. I was more into going for something divisive and more fashion this time.

YS: Did Rihanna love it as much as you did or did she need to be convinced?
MO: We simultaneously fell in love with the dress. It’s not always like that but this time it was immediate for both of us.

YS: Did you put dibs on it right after it showed at couture?
MO: I was stalking Matthew, the Giambattista PR, within an hour after the show.

Rihanna in a blue menswear John Galliano for Maison Margiela Artisanal suit. Getty Images

YS: And then for her performance, she also wore couture by John Galliano for Maison Margiela Artisanal.
MO: For the performance I was all about the extraordinary smoking jacket from that collection. John has always been very supportive of me and I’m excited to be one of the first to get my hands on his new work. It was also the best suit I’ve seen in years. It’s a magic suit!

Mel Ottenberg and Rihanna sitting front row at fashion week. Getty Images

YS: She looked great and those diamonds were not too shabby either.
MO: It’s just the best piece of tailoring that I’ve seen in years. So Galliano, so cool, so sharp. The jewelry was all Chopard with some earcuffs by Colette.

YS: She showed two different sides of couture, and in typical Riri fashion, managed to wear them both so well.
MO: I wanted the performance to be a different side of couture. Simple and easy to move around in, but killer nonetheless. And I think we got that down with Margiela.

More from Yahoo Style:
Here’s What Rihanna’s Epic Grammys Dress Looks Like From the Nosebleeds
Rihanna & Blue Ivy are Pink Ruffle Twins
Diamonds Were The Girls’ Best Friend at the Grammys