Is Rihanna a big James Bond fan?
Her new mouthpiece would certainly have you think so. In select photos from her recent Interview cover shoot, she can be seen flashing a full set of grills covering her top and bottom teeth. If it looks familiar, that's because it was inspired by the James Bond villain Jaws. To really hammer home the reference, Rihanna is even dressed like him. She's wearing a white button-up shirt, black tie, and has has her hair styled with a middle part like the giant antagonist from the movies.
The intricate jewelry was created by none other than New York City-based jeweler Gabby Elan. While it doesn't seem very intricate at first glance due to its lack of diamonds or other colorful enamel details that Gabby Elan is known for, Elan Pinhasov, creative director of Gabby Elan, reveals that it was not an easy job at all. Upon closer inspection, the top and bottom white gold pieces don't align with actual teeth, but still need to appear flush when the mouth is fully closed, for cosmetic and comfort purposes.
"They're kind of a jigsaw style on the teeth and the real trick was getting the bite aligned properly within the gold," Pinhasov tells Complex. "The hardest part of this task was taking the appearance of something previously associated with a character described as gigantic and creepy, and have it fit with Rihanna who is known worldwide for her influence in fashion and beauty."
Pinhasov says that Gabby Elan initially turned down the project when the request from Interview came across their desk. Rihanna refused to have it made by another jeweler, so they reconsidered.
"Making this set for Rihanna was an exciting-yet-intimidating task," says Pinhasov. "With our work, we typically focus all of our attention on comfort, functionality, and aesthetic. The reference sent to us as inspiration for this set had nearly none of those aspects. Having to remake a set of chompers for Rihanna as an ode to Jaws from James Bond was something we never thought would be requested of us."
Shockingly, this isn't the first Jaws-inspired grill we've seen this year. Many people may immediately think of the similar titanium mouthpiece that was designed by Ye and installed into his mouth by dentist Thomas Connelly. It's unclear if one directly inspired the other or if this was pure coincidence.
This also isn't the first time that Rihanna has tapped Gabby Elan for some special grills. Back in May 2023, she commissioned the father-son duo to create the ODB-inspired "DIRT" grills she wore to her son RZA's Wu-Tang Clan-themed first birthday party. In an incredible full-circle moment, Elan's father and founder of Gabby Elan, Gabby Pinhasov, made the original set for Ol' Dirty Bastard that inspired Rihanna's creation.
"She told us this was the best fitting grill she's ever had," Elan told Complex back in 2023. "Hopefully, we get to do a lot more exciting projects together.”
With this Jaws grill, Elan's year-old wish came true.
"We were very happy with the results and, as always, it was an honor to work with Rihanna and Interview magazine on the special look."
