Rihanna’s Mom Is Cooler Than Your Mom

If you or I or some other normie took our moms to a fashion show, we would not escape without the discomfort of being mommed. But Monica Braithwaite — mother to Rihanna, front-row attendee at Friday night’s Fenty x Puma by Rihanna show — is not your average mom. She’s a hip mom. Remember when she presented Rihanna with an AMA Icon Award at the American Music Awards in 2013 and somehow managed to look cooler than Rihanna?

So when Rihanna presented her postapocalyptic health-goth collection, Braithwaite didn’t try to bop to the ominous, techno-y string soundtrack that propelled models down the runway. She sat rapt, proud, her short platinum-blonde hair perfectly styled, and didn’t even try to rush Naomi Campbell like my mom would have.

During a postshow chat, she maintained all her chill — no gushing about “Little RiRi,” no whipping out naked-baby photos. I asked her if she was proud, and she said, “Obviously.” Would she wear any of the items from the collection? She paused, seeming to acknowledge her daughter’s creative success while demonstrating an understanding that Fenty x Puma is not for all moms. “I would consider wearing a few pieces, yes.”

We’d recommend the oversize fur hoodie. Perfect for low-key cool moms.