Rihanna has tested every animal print in the zoo, including leopard, zebra, her signature snakeskin, and tiger. This week—mere days after Marie Claire flagged tiger print as "a major 2026 fashion trend"—tiger print successfully preyed on RiRi's street style in back-to-back outfits.
Tiger stripes first reunited with her regular rotation on January 18, via $1,850 ankle-strap stilettos from Alaïa. 24 hours later, the same pony-hair Drop Pumps returned to New York City. The only difference? She traded her denim-on-denim Canadian tuxedo for a tiger-print take on "the outfit is the coat" theory.
Rihanna bundled up in Alaïa's $7,050 Round Wool Coat, which featured tiger stripes from top to bottom. Not a single piece peeked out from beneath the oversize wrap. For extra warmth, Rihanna layered an almost invisible fur stole atop each elbow. The Grammy winner's tiger theme ended with the aforementioned Alaïa ankle-strap heels.
Before handing it to security, paparazzi captured her vintage Louis Vuitton Mini Papillon Bag, which added another animal print to the mix. Leopard-printed mink covered the entire circa-Fall 2004, top-handle tote, even its chainlink strap. Since debuting the Papillon in Aspen in Dec. 2023, it's joined Rihanna in Los Angeles and Paris. It also accessorized her denim-centric outfit on Jan. 18.
Marie Claire's fashion features editor, Emma Childs, began tracking the tiger trend long before Rihanna's endorsement—15 years ago on Tumblr, in fact. Last year, the pattern roared back into 2025 collections from Jacquemus and Chloé, before resurfacing during Spring 2026 shows from Otté, Chopova Lowena, Gucci, and Alaïa, of course.
Similarly, Rihanna is no stranger to leopard's successor. She tested it as early as a 2013 music festival in an oversize, custom Fenty jersey. More recently, in Nov. 2023, she maximized the pattern with a vintage Dolce & Gabbana mini dress, stacked underneath a fur Roberto Cavalli coat. Both pieces boasted tiger print in spades.
Clearly, the Spring 2026 runway circuit awoke Rihanna's wild side, though she didn't attend a single womenswear show in person. Like the mammal, she's been lurking from afar, waiting for the perfect moment to strike the tiger print trend again.
