Rihanna Proves Issey Miyake Works as Maternity Wear

The singer and businesswoman happily steps outside the bounds of typical pregnancy garb.
Models walk the runway in Issey Miyake’s show as part of Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2016/2017. Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images

“Fashion” and “pregnancy” are words not usually associated. Although maternity-wear fabrics and designs have improved over the years, most mothers do not regard their pregnancies (or postpartum time, for that matter) as periods of sartorial splendor. And then, there’s Rihanna.

From the moment she revealed she was pregnant with her first child, in 2022, while sporting a 1990s Chanel pink puffer coat, the musician and businesswoman has set the bar high for maternity style. Now expecting her third child with partner A$AP Rocky, she continues to inspire. Her most recent fashion decision provides the ultimate cheat code for expectant mothers seeking clothing that is comfortable, stylish and vintage.

Rihanna recently stepped out in a joyful pink and yellow a Spring/Summer 2001 Pleats Please Issey Miyake dress paired with bright green sneakers (a sold-out 2024 collab between Puma and Ottolinger) and sizable silver flower earrings. With its bulbous padded neckline, this is no simple nap dress, yet its free-flowing form makes it comfortable as pregnancy wear. Miyake developed Pleats Please with the changeable nature of the body in mind, and when are changes more apparent than during pregnancy? The garments — sold in just five sizes that differ in length rather than width — are supremely adaptable to varying shapes and girths.

The design Rihanna was seen in debuted in a September 2000 Issey Miyake show, worn by a straight-size model. Expectant women were thus encouraged to set their sights not just on Pleats Please but beyond, and get creative with straight-size clothing too. Who said you have to wait until you’re postpartum (or later) to get back into clothes that make you feel good?


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