Rihanna Twerks Plus Speech After Receiving Fashion Icon Award From the CFDA

Rihanna was at the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) fashion awards event held a couple of days ago in New York. She made headlines with a see through glitter dress made only of fishnet and swaroski crystals, and she also got awarded as the Fashion Icon of the year. After picking her award, Rihanna went backstage happy and doing an improptu twerking dance for her audience.

The statuete was presented by Vogue editor, Anna Wintour who said of Rihanna;

Rihanna speaks to her fans with her every look. And what she says to them — and I include all of us in that group — is that it’s fun to feel a little boyish one day and dress up like a dazzling diva the next. I think that’s what she was going for tonight. [crowd laughs]

The point is to be audacious, even jaw-dropping or button-pushing — and yes, we know she enjoys pushing buttons — while remaining true to yourself.

She proves that incredible style can help take a talented young woman from a small island to the world stage, and along the way spark a lot of conversation about elegance and empowerment." 

As part of her off-the-cuff speeach, Rihanna talked about her growing up years in Bardados and wha fashion means to her. She said;

Growing up I didn't have a lot of access to fashion. But, um, as far as I could remember, fashion has always been my defense mechanism. Even as a child I remember thinking, 'She can beat me, but she cannot beat my outfit.' And to this day I mean, that is how I think about it. I can compensate for all my weaknesses with my fashion. And so really, you really can … I enjoy the most that you can tell so much about who someone is just by their style — the way they put fashion together.

And I think fashion has been an outlet for me to express myself, to speak up, to say who I am and to be very loud about it at times, and I just like to have fun with it. Fashion is just a world of thrills, it’s exciting, there’s no rules, there’s just … I mean, SHE has tons of rules [gestures at Anna Wintour, audience laughs] … Scratch that! Scratch that! [More audience laughter.] There are RULES! But rules are meant to be broken. [Audience cheers and claps.]

I want to thank MAC for being so supportive and for keeping my face so cute. I want to thank all of the stylists who I’ve worked with because it’s steps, it’s stages to get here, and now I can’t believe that we’re here at the CFDA awards. Mel Ottenberg, thank you! You GET ME. You honestly get me, and you understand what I’m trying to say.

I can send you two pictures, and you bring back the rack full of exactly what I wanted. There’s nothing better than that because fashion should never be frustrating. It should be fun! Make it easy to me. I want to thank everybody here tonight, my friends, my family for being supportive, thank you guys! Good night.

Watch the video of the full presentation and the twerking below...