Olivier Rousteing, has long considered Rihanna as his most prominent muse

Rihanna is bold, sexual and doesn't mind showing off her body whether she's on stage or on the red carpet.

But now the super-stylish singer, 26, famous for her edgy fashion choices and explicit lyrics, has been given the ultimate accolade by her favourite designer, Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing.

The 28-year-old designer told The Telegraph that the Barbadian beauty has the aura and charisma to rival some of the most legendary beauties in history, including Madonna - and Grace Kelly.

Balmain creative director, Olivier Rousteing, has long considered Rihanna as his most prominent muse

Rihanna, left in 2014, and Grace Kelly, right in 1963, make red carpet appearances more than 50 years apart

 

Rousteing walked the red carpet at the British Fashion Awards in London on December 1, 2014

He said: 'She has this aura, this charisma. It's not only sexual. It's something else. She is like a new Grace Kelly, or a Madonna...This woman of the world who represents a new world.' 

It's an unlikely comparison but Rousteing also believes that the design house's founder, Pierre Balmain, would have approved of the singer and her fearless, over-the-top approach to fashion. 

He said that Balmain who died in 1982 at the age of 68, loved strong women and women who have something to say. 

 

The fashion wunderkind is also famous for befriending the Kardashian clan and casting model Kendall Jenner in his ads and on the catwalk, as well as signing up Kim Kardashian and Kanye West to star in a campaign. 

Rousteing enjoys harking back to a more opulent age in fashion, saying the industry's biggest moment was the era of the supermodels with famous beauties Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni and Linda Evangelista stalking the catwalk. 

'The woman had to come back; the curved woman, and different kinds of body shapes. I don't like skinny girls. I want to represent a real woman, not just a shadow or a ghost,' he said.

Rihanna sat front row at the Balmain Spring/Summer 2010 fashion show in Paris, France

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Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are also fans - and are often clad - in the Parisian brand

As Rousteing heralds Rihanna as a new icon for our ages, we see how she and Princess Grace compare... and contrast.

THEIR LOVE LIVES

 Rihanna made headlines for her controversial romance with fellow performer Chris Brown, which ended when he subjected her to a violent beating in 2009.

Grace, however, left Hollywood behind to marry Monaco's Prince Rainier III in a real life fairy tale.

The chart-topper has yet to have another long-term relationship, while Grace settled in the French principality and had three children before her death in a car crash at the age of 52 in 1982.

Rihanna and Chris Brown, left, reunite for a cuddle at the 2013 Grammy Awards, after a turbulent relationship tht ended violently in 2009. Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly, right, dance in Mallorca on April 23, 1956.

THEIR SIGNATURE STYLE

Rihanna, 26, often opts for edgy accessories and leather accents, while Grace was the epitome of timeless elegance - down to her head scarves and Hermes handbags.

However, there is something of the Monagesque royal in the singer's style, as she takes Grace's classic hats and cat eye shades but teams them with leather and head-to-toe black, rather than with a pale swing coat and pearls.

Rihanna was clearly channelling Grace Kelly's signature style at a meet and greet in New York in 2012.

THEIR MOST GLAMOROUS LOOKS

Rihanna dolled up for her hosting duties at The Inaugural Diamond Ball in December 2014 and can definitely hold her own even next to Kelly's opulent, bedazzled ball gown.

The Umbrella singer wore a cerise Zac Posen floor-length showstopper with a huge diamond and ruby necklace worthy of the greatest film goddesses.

Yet Grace Kelly's sheer elegance and style were so arresting she was even given her own exhibition at the V&A in 2009.

Rihanna was the picture of elegance, sporting a Zac Posen ball gown at December's Diamond Ball. Grace Kelly (right) was also known for her elegant dress choices, complete with intricate beading

While Rihanna was named the face of Balmain's spring/summer 2014 campaign, Kelly inspired Paris fashion house, Hermes, to rename one of their signature handbags after her. 

Rihanna often lends her support to friend Rousteing, while Hermes found their music in the late Kelly 

THEIR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS

Rihanna has picked up a slew of music industry awards over the years, including seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards, including her icon award in 2013.

Grace Kelly won best actress at the 1955 Academy Awards for her role in The Country Girl although she's now more famous for parts in High Society or as one of Hitchcock's cool blondes, starring in Rear Window and Dial M For Murder. 

To receive her Icon Awad in 2013, Rihanna opted for barely-there black dress, while Grace Kelly donned Edith Head for her Oscar win in 1955

Rihanna, clad in a custom Adam Selman fishnet dress, which was see-through enough to reveal she wasn't wearing a bra and only the skimpiest of nude knickers, made her most dramatic appearance yet to received the Style Icon Award at the 2014 CFDAs.

However ever the fashion plate, Grace Kelly, looked regal in her own fur stole and chic gown in 1963. 

With a high neckline on her gold brocade gown and fur covering the rest of her body, the movie star showcased her always perfect sense of decorum.

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Rihanna sparkled in custom Adam Selman at the 2014 CDFA Awards, while Kelly likewise opted for a fur stole in 1963