Rihanna Paid Tribute to Her Friend André Leon Talley With Her Super Bowl Red Coat

So lovely.

Rihanna at Super Bowl
(Image credit: Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Rihanna's Super Bowl Halftime Show performance was history-making in more ways than one.

Not only did she announce her second pregnancy during her set, but the giant coat she wore for part of the show also had a beautiful significance.

Although Rihanna hasn't spoken to it herself, the full-length red Alaïa puffer she wore appeared to be a homage to the similar coat her late friend André Leon Talley famously wore.

Talley, a prominent fashion editor who sadly passed away in January 2022, was often seen in his red Norma Kamali sleeping bag coat, which has come to be associated with him.

Talley's official Instagram page shared side by side images of him and Rihanna in their similar red coats, with the caption, "'When the sun shines, we'll shine together. Told you I'll be here forever… said I'll always be your friend'. @badgalriri"

Reality star Patricia Altschul wrote, "He will be missed by so many of us who loved him… Rihanna’s tribute made me teary"

Stylist June Ambrose wrote, "This was a beautiful tribute"

Screenwriter Mara Brock Akil said, "I knew it! And loved it! Loved that she met Andre in the sky like the diamond he is!"

The Vogue alum and Fenty Beauty founder were great friends, as shown in footage from the 2015 Met Gala, when Talley admired RiRi's jaw-dropping dress, which was a handmade look by Guo Pei, a a stunning faux fur-lined creation with a lavishly embroidered train.

"You are so inspiring to so many people," Talley told her at the time. "You are going to inspire people in this place."

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.