Best Rihanna’s Hairstyle Evolution Through The Years
Here’s a look back at some of Rihanna’s most memorable hairstyles, from pixie cuts to Fulani braids and more.
Since her debut in the mid-2000s, Rihanna has been a hair, beauty, and fashion phenomenon.
The artiste is not limited to just one hairstyle, whether it is the tousled waves of an island girl or the black bob of her Good Girl Gone Bad period.
She isn’t hesitant to try new things with her hair color, and she is known to be particularly inventive on red carpets and events like the Met Gala. Over the years, the “Anti” singer has had honey blonde hair, bright red up-dos and even blue swirls in her fringe.
The diva, who was born in Barbaros, is obviously the master of hair disguise, as she can pull off any style or color with ease.
Take a look back at Rihanna’s most memorable hairstyles, from innovative pixie cuts to daring braids.
Rihanna started out as a more innocent, girl next door type of artist. Long copper-hued curls and a tanned face were the singer’s signature appearance as she walked the red carpet at Clive Davis’ 2007 Pre-Grammy Awards party.
By the time her third album, “Good Girl Gone Bad,” came out later that year, Rihanna had gone through a complete makeover. Rihanna wore an asymmetrical haircut with side fringe and platinum blonde streaks at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.
Rihanna’s short cut developed into a pixie cut quite rapidly. The star revealed her new short haircut with jagged fringe during the 2008 Grammys.
Rihanna modified her pixie hairdo with voluminous curls for the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. In addition to the platinum highlights, the celebrity also tried out dark blue streaks at the front of her hair.
Rihanna kept her short hair style going with a big pompadour that she wore to the Grammy Awards in 2010. The look defied gravity because it had shaved sides and a new honey-blonde colour.
In 2010, Rihanna changed her hair colour to a bold new shade. The singer’s newly dyed hair was put up in a big bun at the MTV Europe Music Awards, giving her a retro-glam look on the red carpet.
Rihanna wore a red outfit to the 2010 American Music Awards to draw attention to her fiery locks, but everyone’s attention was on her bouncy curls. The length of the cut, which reached her shoulders, showed off the layers and fullness that framed her face.
Rihanna’s red hair was first seen at the Grammys in 2011. The star’s bright hair was cut into a shoulder-length bob that bounced, which looked great with her off-the-shoulder haute couture mermaid dress by Jean Paul Gaultier.
The star wore her copper-red hair in two braids that framed her face and came together to make one long braid that she wore over her shoulder.
Rihanna rocked her blonde hair in curls to the Grammys in 2012. The tiered look had dark roots and a fluffy texture that made it look easy and rock star-like.
Rihanna is known for her unique wigs, but her looks at the Met Gala always steals the show. For the event in 2012, she wore a creative up-do with buns all around her head. With the sides cut, the singer’s unique edge was added to the style.
In 2012, Rihanna went back to the short pixie cut with this stylish look. At the MTV VMAs, the singer wore her hair cut short and with baby fringe, which was a famous look in the 1960s. Her eyelashes that fluttered and her red lipstick made her look more classic.
Rihanna looked like an old-time screen beauty at the 2012 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The singer took the stage for her show with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and finger waves. Classic waves were added to the front of her hair to make it look like she had fringe.
At the 2013 Grammys, Rihanna wore her hair in an ombré look, which was once again ahead of the times.
Rihanna shocked her fans at New York Fashion Week in 2013 when she showed up with an edgy mullet cut. From the front, the jet-black style looked like a chic pixie cut, but the back had layers that got shorter and fell below her shoulders.
The singer went from a ’80s-style hairstyle to a very different style: a soft, loving up-do with curls around her face at the 2014 MTV VMAs.
The Bantu knots style at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards was one of her best.
Even though the Met Gala is one of the most fancy events of the year, Rihanna wore a messy up-do there in 2014. The star’s wavy hair was piled high on top of her head and hung over her face, making her look sexy without trying. The silver hair piece she wore looked great with her bejewelled dress collar.
Rihanna’s dress for the 2017 Met Gala required a top knot. The star had her hair piled high on top of her head and coiled into a tidy bun, with fringe that came down to her eyebrows.
In the 2018 heist film Oceans 8, Rihanna wore big locs to play the role of Nine Ball. Her hairstylist Williams said that this was a nod to her Caribbean background.
Rihanna’s bold, fun glam is best shown in this summery look. The star went to a Fenty event in June 2019 wearing a hot pink dress and long red box braids that fell below her waist.
At the 5th Annual Diamond Ball in 2019, Rihanna wore a standard glam look. Williams gave her jet-black hair a perfectly messy updo with thick strands that framed her face.
Rihanna went to the 2019 Fashion Awards with Fulani braids that were made by her hairdresser, Williams. Byrdie. She says that the Fulani people of Africa made the defensive style famous. It usually consists of cornrows and braids that cross each other.
In 2021, she went back to being a brunette. At the opening of Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3, the star wore her hair long and straight, and her fringe were cut straight across.
Rihanna wore a knotted hairstyle to the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony in her home country of Barbados in 2021.
At the March 2022 launch of Fenty Beauty in Ulta shops, Rihanna’s pregnancy glam was in full swing. Williams, the mogul’s go-to hairdresser, gave her a sleek, flipped-out high ponytail. No hair was out of place.
At the opening of Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever in 2022, the star’s hair was wavy and fell over her face, giving her an easy-glam look. Williams, who did her hair, also put tiny cornrows on the left side of her head, above her ear.
Even though Rihanna didn’t walk the red carpet at the 2023 Golden Globes, her stunning outfit did not go ignored. Williams gave her a sleek, sculptural updo with a single curl around her face that gave Old Hollywood glam a modern twist.
