Rihanna stuns in sheer gown at fashion awards

Rihanna proved she was the right choice for an icon prize from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) as she turned heads in a sheer dress during the organisation's annual awards show on Monday (02Jun14).

The Diamonds hitmaker sparkled on the red carpet at Lincoln Center in New York City when she showed up to the ceremony wearing a see-through beaded gown with nothing but nude panties underneath, exposing her bare breasts and butt.

When accepting the 2014 Fashion Icon honor, she said, "As long as I can remember, fashion has been my defense mechanism. As a child I remember thinking, she can beat me but she cannot beat my outfit... You will never be stylish if you don't take risks."

Top designer/director Tom Ford was given the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award, while actresses-turned-fashion moguls Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen took the Accessories Designer of the Year award for their line, The Row.

The CFDA Awards were hosted by director/screenwriter John Waters, with fashion-forward stars like Lupita Nyong'o, Blake Lively, Marion Cotillard making their own style statements on the red carpet.

Models Karlie Kloss, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Chanel Iman, and designers Diane von Furstenberg and Betsey Johnson were also on hand to honor the best in fashion over the past year.