Rihanna’s New Designer Pal and Go-To French Fashion Guru: Jean Paul Gaultier
Dominique Charriau/WireImage
It seems Rihanna has found her designer du jour in French couturier Jean Paul Gaultier. After striking up a friendship at his ready-to-wear show last October, the singer has been spotted wearing Gaultier’s avant-garde designs on several occasions since (look out for the label in her latest video and at her recent Hope for Haiti Now telethon performance). But it was for the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes on Sunday that the 21 year-old called upon the designer for something truly ‘magnifique.’ Gaultier dipped into his runway archives, and with the help of the singer’s stylist, chose a dazzling white lace dress with a silver chain mail inlay from his Haute Couture Fall 2008 collection to wow the red carpet crowd. Accepting her ‘Best International Female’ award later in the evening, Rihanna opted for Gaultier again, wearing a black dress from the designer’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection. So what does Gaultier think about his new found fan? “Rihanna has great style sensibility,” the designer tells PEOPLE, adding with admiration: “She really knows how to mix edgy and elegance to make it look sophisticated, youthful and sexy!” Looks like it’s a fashionable friendship indeed–and for the rest of us out there who want to get in on Gaultier’s designs (without the fancy designer price tags!) look out for his affordable new Target line to hit stores March 7. –Monique Jessen
