Dior's Novel New Book Tote Is Rihanna's Literary It-Bag of the Summer

A few months ago, I almost splurged on the iconic Dior Book Tote. My hand hovered over the "Place Your Order" button for hours, before I ultimately decided to save my $3,500. I had an inkling the incoming creative director, Jonathan Anderson, would revive the emblematic carry-all in his own Loewe-esque way.

Tracking Rihanna's street style as Marie Claire's resident celebrity style expert proved I was right about the bag after all. Since Anderson's debut at Dior's Men's Spring 2026 show, Rihanna has been modeling a novel update to the book tote all over Paris, simultaneously making me fall in love with it. Most recently, on July 2, RiRi delivered an unofficial step-and-repeat outside the Royal Monceau Hotel with Anderson's revamped tote in tow.

Hand-in-hand with her two-year-old, Riot, the Grammy winner carried "Anderson’s interpretation of the Dior Book Tote," according to the atelier. The Northern Irish creative took the name to a more literal level, swapping the Toile de Jouy Sauvage motif for author Bram Stoker's Dracula book cover stamped on the bag's side. Rihanna's accessory tapped into the turmeric yellow color craze, alongside ruby red lettering. She paired it with a baby bump-baring polo shirt, low-waisted cargo jeans, and Mary Janes—a darling detour from her usual Puma Speedcat sneakers. Clear Ray-Ban glasses finished her look.

Like the Book Totes of Maria Grazia Chiuri's Dior era, the new iteration is made of structured cotton and can be worn by hand or over the shoulder. It's not publicly available yet, but since Rihanna attended the Spring 2026 show on June 27, she got special access.

In the days following Anderson's initial presentation, Rihanna has served as a walking ad for the atelier's new It-bag. On June 28, she sat front row at boyfriend A$AP Rocky's AWGE show with the Book Tote close by. 24 hours later, the same style instantly elevated the A-lister's jeans-and-a-sweatshirt set, plus her Fenty x Puma sneakers.

During her tenure at Dior, Chiuri created multiple Book Totes in various shades and sizes, each monogrammed with "CHRISTIAN DIOR" across the center. Anderson's first act as creative director was to remix the bag's DNA, designing several book bags mirroring classics in the Western literary canon. At the June 27 show, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan, Ulysses by James Joyce, Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, and Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire popped up on the catwalk. @Superluxe on TikTok says each author is "known for exploring identity, societal critique, and psychological depth"—a posture Anderson also took while serving as Loewe's former creative director.

Unless you have Anderson on speed dial, Dior's reissued Book Totes aren't available to shop yet. Since it's a Spring 2026 model, it'll likely hit shelves early next year. Watch this space for updates ahead of the drop date—and more ways to style it, courtesy of Rihanna.

Shop the Original Dior Book Tote