I never thought " Rihanna " and "minimalist" could belong in the same headline. I associate Rihanna with styling Louis Vuitton for a CVS run or remixing colorful Loewe and Comme des Garçons into maternity clothes —sampling the pared-back restraint of a Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy . But even Rihanna saw the high-vamp flats trend , the minimalist spring shoe trend du jour , and decided she needed to step up her understated footwear game.

The last time I saw Rihanna, she was ascending the Met Gala steps and Marie Claire' s best-dressed list in custom Maison Margiela . The dress was less of a dress and more of a space-age cocoon, combining liquid metal fabric with an assemblage of crystal embellishments. In other words, she was the walking definition of maximalism.…