(CNN) — Since announcing her pregnancy with partner A$AP Rocky in January, Rihanna hasn’t shied away from daring maternity looks, delighting fans with her choice of crop tops, sheer dresses and belly chains. She is now the star of the May issue of American Vogue, wearing a red lace bodysuit and matching gloves by AlaIïa.
In an interview for the magazine, the superstar spoke about the last few months and the reason why she has emphasized her body instead of hiding it.
“When I found out I was pregnant, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m going to be shopping in any maternity aisles. I’m sorry…it’s just too much fun getting ready,'” she told Vogue. “I’m not going to let that part go away just because my body is changing.”
In the photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz, Rihanna poses in various looks in an ornate Parisian hotel room during the city’s fashion week, showing off her baby bump in a spectacular veiled couture gown by Jean Paul Gaultier, an ensemble red cropped jacket and maxi skirt by Rick Owens, and a padded coat by Marc Jacobs with underwear by his brand Savage X Fenty.
The cover comes less than three months after Rihanna’s first public photos as a mom-to-be, in which she and A$AP Rocky posed affectionately in Harlem as she wore a vibrant vintage Chanel coat, unbuttoned at the bottom, and denim pants. low rise dress and a Chanel chain belt. Since then, she has used every public appearance to debut a new style that attracts attention.
“I think now I even say yes to more things because I know it’s going to be different on the other side of this,” he said in the interview. “At first I expected a magical change, but in reality I am still who I am… Nothing is simplified.”
“My body is doing amazing things right now”
Throughout fashion month, Rihanna was the star, showing up at the Gucci show in Milan in a latex crop top and oversized purple fur coat, followed by Dior in Paris, where she wore a black lace slip. see-through with knee-high patent leather boots.
“For me, that dress is the closest thing to maternity wear I’ve ever worn,” Rihanna told Vogue of Dior’s black look. For that risque outfit she also wore a pair of Savage X Fenty underwear, saying, “Look, they were going to see my underwear anyway. So they better be mine.”
Rihanna said she and A$AP Rocky weren’t planning on having a baby, “but they certainly weren’t planning against it,” explaining how close they became during the early days of the pandemic while on a road trip through the country. “She became my family at that time,” she said, later adding, “I feel like I can do any part of life with her.”
Although Rihanna’s due date is still unknown, last month she revealed to Elle that she was already in her third trimester. To Vogue, she said that she hopes to have been able to “redefine what is considered ‘decent’ for pregnant women.”
“My body is doing amazing things right now, and I’m not going to be ashamed of it,” she said. “This moment should feel like a celebration. Because why should you hide your pregnancy?”