At this point, you've already gone through a therapy session of emotions re: Rihanna's CFDA dress. First, awe. (Was it a gown? body glitter? a disco ball?) Then, curiosity (What kind of thong is that? Where do I buy one?), ENVY, and mostly, straight-up respect for a woman taking her Fashion Icon of the Year award seriously. The nipples were just the icing on the cake: a badass and subtle political statement in a time when the censorship of women's bodies is making headlines.
Iconic dresses don't materalize out of nowhere––even if they're strung from paper-thin mesh and Swarovski crystals. Adam Selman, an OC-beloved designer and Rihanna's longtime costumer, is the man behind the masterpiece. We caught up with him via e-mail about #FreeTheNipple and the one fashion rule he won't break.
Iconic dresses don't materalize out of nowhere––even if they're strung from paper-thin mesh and Swarovski crystals. Adam Selman, an OC-beloved designer and Rihanna's longtime costumer, is the man behind the masterpiece. We caught up with him via e-mail about #FreeTheNipple and the one fashion rule he won't break.
Shop all Adam Selman HERE
ALICE HINES: The sparkly, semi-nude evening look has a long and storied history: from Marilyn Monroe's "Happy Birthday Mr. President" gown to Britney Spears' "Toxic" bodysuit. Were there any iconic dresses you were thinking of when you designed this one?
ADAM SELMAN: Right? This is not a brand-new concept, but we took the idea and revamped it in a fresh way. The look wasn’t directly inspired by [another] in particular, but Bob Mackie is an icon of mine, and it was fun to have my own “Bob Mackie moment.” So many amazing, inspirational, iconic woman have had semi-nude fashion moments: Cher, Babs, Miss Ross, Whitney, Lil’ Kim, Britney… the list could go on for days.
In her acceptance speech, Rihanna said that fashion rules "are meant to be broken." Are there any rules you'd like to break?
Luckily, I don’t think about rules too much. Living in NYC, people just live by their own rules. I just go with the flow. The only rule I have is “NO kitten heels.” And who knows, maybe I'll break my own rule… one day.
I read there were 230,000 Swarovski crystals on this gown! How long did it take you to put together?
We’ve been conceptualizing the dress for about a month. But, we started applying the Swarovski crystals on Monday and we finished at 3 PM the day of the event. Originally, we were going to do two dress options (a lady needs options), but when we saw how long it was going to take, we opted for just one. It took a massive team of about 20 people working around the clock to get it done. I have an amazing team; I am so grateful to have them work with me.
What's your position on #FreeTheNipple?
Lately, I have been sick of hashtags. Can’t we just speak in emojis instead? So while the hashtag is kind of annoying, I love the cause. A woman, or man’s, body is her own, and how people choose to express fashion or their own bodies is their own choice. This wasn’t vulgar or gratuitous; she looks INCREDIBLE. It was daring and risky though, which is what Rihanna is all about, and what makes her a true icon. I really look forward to the day that people start embracing beauty and stop shaming women for simply showing something so innocent as a nipple. Guess what, you have nipples too.
Here's a video of Adam's team gluing the crystals on Rihanna's gown one by one. (And yeah, th