2026 isn't the new 2016 until Rihanna says so.
On January 15, she tapped into the nostalgic trend of the moment not with a throwback Instagram post, but with a 2016-inspired slip dress.
The street style star took a trip down fashion memory lane at the New York City release party of A$AP Rocky's fourth studio album, Don't Be Dumb. She stole the show in a rust orange, Saint Laurent satin slip with a lace-trimmed neckline that created a peekaboo bra effect, which felt reminiscent of her decade-old outfits. (See: her circa-2016 Ovo Fest look, in all its thigh-high boot glory.) Rihanna winterized her little orange dress with a cropped, army green bomber jacket from Miu Miu. (Zoom in to see its brown, fur-lined collar beneath her silky smooth bombshell waves.)
It wouldn't be a proper RiRi outfit without statement bling of some sort. This time, a thick, choker-like pendant frosted her décolletage; the center diamond's carat count remains a mystery at pub time, but knowing her, it's in the double-digit range.
Once Rihanna reunited with A$AP Rocky (dressed in a similar shearling-collared bomber) paparazzi got a better view of her accessories. First, she fit only her essentials in a vintage Louis Vuitton Damier Sauvage Tigre bag, decorated with brown-and-beige checker print. Its sister style, the Damier Alma BB bag, was one of her favorites back in 2016—coincidence?
It seems the Grammy winner plucked her shoes from her recent Barbados suitcase, stepping out in the unseasonal toe-ring sandal trend. Another rhinestone-encrusted strap stretched across each upper, while her ankles remained bare.
Rihanna isn't the most active on Instagram these days, but clearly she's keeping tabs on the 2016 revival. Satin slips were a RiRi-core classic in the 2010s. One particular look comes to mind: the plunging, ankle-grazing red maxi from Are You Am I she wore to dinner at Carbone in New York's Greenwich Village on October 5, 2016. Its ruby red finish looked just as delectable as her 2026 recreation, except alongside metallic gold Prada pumps and a faux fur striped stole from Marni.
The slip's second coming has been in the works for a while now, with brands like Chanel, Christopher Esber, Victoria Beckham, and Ferragamo endorsing it on the Spring 2026 runways. To no surprise, Rihanna's interpretation is right on time and could (read: will) maximize the trend's reach tenfold.
