Rihanna Returns to Christian Louboutin Red Soles in Daring Curved Pumps at Matières Fécales Paris Show

PARIS — Rihanna brought back one of fashion's most recognizable signatures on Monday, stepping out in a pair of red-soled Christian Louboutin heels as she opened her Paris Fashion Week at the Matières Fécales spring 2027 show.

It had been several years since the singer and Fenty Beauty founder was spotted showing off the bright red sole of a Louboutin shoe. Though she has been a fan of the French luxury footwear label since the start of her career, Rihanna has more recently favored heels from Amina Muaddi and Saint Laurent for her public appearances.

That changed on Sept. 28, the first day of Paris Fashion Week, when she arrived at the avant-garde label's runway presentation in black patent leather pumps from the Matières Fécales x Christian Louboutin collaboration, which debuted with the brand's fall 2025 collection.

The shoes

The heels follow a silhouette similar to Louboutin's Miss Z pumps, with a sharp, elongated pointed toe and a low-cut vamp. Like many of the shoes and boots from the collaboration, they feature a distinctly convex, curved outline at the back that gives them a severely slanted look.

Rihanna's pair also appeared to include gold ankle cuffs that echoed the metallic finish of her outfit, according to fashion outlets that covered her appearance.

The curved heels became the leading motif of the partnership between Matières Fécales and Louboutin, which launched during Paris Fashion Week with the label's debut runway collection, titled "The Other," by designers Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran. The shoes first appeared on the runway in March 2025.

Since then, the unconventional stilettos have been adopted by a growing list of celebrities. Lady Gaga has worn them repeatedly, including in Barcelona, in Paris, at the 2026 Grammy Awards and at the New York premiere of "The Devil Wears Prada" sequel. Singer and model Gabbriette wore the silhouette in white when she married Matty Healy of The 1975 in July 2026, becoming the first celebrity bride to wear Matières Fécales. Zendaya has also embraced the collaboration.

A custom golden look

Rihanna paired the glossy heels with an avant-garde skirt suit covered in dense, gold and copper-toned metallic fringe that resembled tinsel. The ensemble featured sculptural volume through the shoulders and upper body, a fitted waist and a midi-length skirt with an uneven, fringed hem.

Because Matières Fécales had not shown the exact set on its runway, fashion observers suggested the look was custom-made for the singer.

In keeping with her recent affinity for bra-forward dressing, Rihanna wore the jacket open over a sheer black bra. She accessorized with a chunky gold choker, gold stud earrings and stacked rings, and carried a glossy black Ferragamo Cara bag. Her wavy black hair was styled in an updo, and she completed the look with slim black sunglasses and a bright red manicure.

The nine-time Grammy winner sat in the front row at the show alongside fashion fixtures Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy. She was later spotted leaving César restaurant in Paris, the same restaurant she visited on Sept. 23 after attending a Céline Dion concert.

A label on the rise

Monday's show was Matières Fécales' fourth Paris Fashion Week presentation since its official runway debut with its fall 2025 collection.

Founded in Montreal in 2014 by Dalton and Bhaskaran, the label's name translates from French as "fecal matter." Despite the provocative name, the brand has quickly become a fixture of high fashion, known for its "post-human" aesthetic, skin-toned stiletto heels and blazers with sharply pointed shoulders. Dalton has said she entered the industry after the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, as a way to protest the less glamorous side of fashion.

Before its Paris runway debut, the brand was stocked at Selfridges in London and partnered with Dover Street Market.

Matières Fécales has drawn intense attention in recent months after creating larger-than-life angel wings for Zendaya during the press tour for Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey." Last fall, Cynthia Erivo also wore thigh-high boots from the Louboutin collaboration during her press tour for "Wicked: For Good."

The label's shows have not been without controversy. Its spring 2026 collection, presented in October 2025, drew criticism from some social media users who questioned whether its deconstructed designs could be considered fashion, even as industry insiders, including Christian Louboutin himself, attended.

Rihanna's Louboutin history

Rihanna has a long relationship with Louboutin. Most recently, she wore custom Christian Louboutin Lace Botta shoes to Met Gala after-parties in 2025. She wore sandals from the French designer to her birthday dinner in February 2023 and has paired Louboutin shoes with several of her standout Met Gala looks over the years.

Her choice of Matières Fécales for her first Paris Fashion Week appearance of the season fits a broader shift in her style. The singer has increasingly traded traditional silhouettes for more experimental, avant-garde designs. At the 2026 Met Gala, she drew attention in a chrome-dipped Maison Margiela gown.

A fashion week regular

Rihanna has long been one of the most closely watched attendees at Paris Fashion Week, where her front-row appearances and street style often generate as much attention as the runway collections themselves.

She has frequently used the event to support her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, whose fashion label AWGE has shown during Paris Men's Fashion Week. The couple has also been regular guests at major luxury houses, including Dior.

Beyond music, Rihanna has built a business empire around fashion and beauty. She founded Fenty Beauty in 2017 and later launched lingerie brand Savage X Fenty and skincare line Fenty Skin, establishing herself as one of the most influential figures in the beauty and fashion industries.

Paris Fashion Week continues through early October, with major houses including Dior, Chanel, Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton set to present their spring 2027 collections in the coming days. Fashion watchers will be looking to see which shows Rihanna attends next, and whether her return to red soles signals a lasting shift in her footwear choices.