Rihanna Reinterpreted Dior's Iconic 'New Look' with a Tomboy-Inspired Twist

What happens when you mix Rihanna and Dior? Parisian coolness at its finest.

Rihanna wearing a black peplum style coat with a black cap
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dior's Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week show brings out a myriad of A-listers, most notably Rihanna, who sat front row for Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior Spring/Summer 2024 couture collection. The French fashion house is known for quintessential Parisian elegance, but RiRi offered her own 'Bad Gal' spin: Rihanna wore a floppy newsboy cap with a puffer, peplum-style jacket and matching skirt. Fashion nerds will recognize her fit-and-flare top as a reiteration of one of the brand's most notable silhouettes, the Dior New Look, only done in newfound puffy fabrications.

The particular style dates back to 1947 when Christian Dior debuted the 'New Look' for the first time. The hallmark features of the style include a cinched waist, rounded shoulders, and a full skirt. While the silhouette caters to a traditionally "feminine" archetype, Rihanna challenges that with a tomboy-inspired take on the style. Yes, her look stays true to the silhouette's key features, but with a bit of updating and styling that brings the classic look into 2024. Let's dive in.

Rihanna wearing a black peplum style look with a black cap

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Starting with the New Look-inspired clothing itself, Rihanna wore an off-the-shoulder puffer coat (which bears similarities to Monsieur Dior's Bar Jacket), cinched at the waist with a wide black belt. The dramatic folded top part of the jacket revealed a semi-sheer black bra. Adding an extra layer of elegance, Rihanna's look continued into a matching knee-length skirt. As with many of Rihanna's best fashion moments, the real fun begins with the accessories.

Rihanna dior couture outfit

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rihanna styled the updated take on Dior's New Look with elegantly edgy (if that's a thing?) accessories. She added a pair of scrunched leather opera gloves to the puffer coat and held a patent leather Lady Dior bag by her side.

In true Rihanna fashion, the jewels were out in full force, with the singer wearing a striking diamond necklace and diamond earcuffs. The all-black look was broken up with a pair of white pointed-toe heels and a sparkly anklet. To finish the super-cool Dior moment, Rihanna added a floppy newsboy-style black cap to the ensemble, which was an unexpected—yet welcomed—touch.

Rihanna dior couture outfit

(Image credit: Getty Images)

While Rihanna has had plenty of noteworthy street style moments in the past few months, this couture week outing marks a first for the multihyphenate ever since the birth of her second child in August. Couture week is just kicking off in Paris, so hopefully, this isn't the only Parisian-style moment we will get from Rihanna, but then again, we will take what we can get.

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Melony Forcier
Freelance Fashion Writer

Melony Forcier is a New York City-based freelance writer specializing in fashion and beauty. Her work has appeared in Byrdie, Brides, Allure, InStyle, and Who What Wear.