Ahead of the launch of her historic LVMH-partnered FENTY line, Rihanna has shared a sneak peek with fans.
According to the LVMH group FENTY epitomizes both the spirit of Rihanna and a new approach to modern luxury: agile and dynamic; elevated yet egalitarian; bold, free, fearless.
The New York Times’ Style magazine, T Magazine, dropped a Jeremy O. Harris x Rihanna interview, complete with a first look at the impending line.
Ogun State police uncovers plan to disrupt Dapo Abiodun’s inauguration on May 29th
“I never just wanted to put my name on something and sell my license,” Rihanna said of the partnership, which was announced earlier this month. “I’m very hands-on, so I wanted to take it slowly and gain respect as a designer. I already had a relationship with them after the Versailles campaign and the makeup line, so they extended the offer to me and it was a no-brainer because LVMH is a machine.”
“You wear what looks good on you and that’s it,” says #Rihanna. “I’m thick and curvy right now, and so if I can’t wear my own stuff then, I mean, that’s not gonna work, right?” As the first black woman to run a major luxury fashion house, @badgalriri paid close attention to inclusivity when creating the @Fenty clothing line. Indeed, the mission of #Fenty, according to #JahleelWeaver (@illjahjah), a stylist for Rihanna who is now the label’s style director, “is to really speak to how multifaceted today’s woman is. We’re thinking about each release as a different facet to a woman’s wardrobe and how she approaches dressing. Luxury has been defined in the past as one woman, one brand: You know who the Saint Laurent woman is, you understood who the Céline woman was when it was Phoebe. Which is fine, but you think about how that relates to the modern woman. I don’t think she is just one thing, Rih being the perfect example of that.” Click the link in our bio for Rihanna’s full conversation with the playwright @JeremyOHarris, and to see more exclusive images of her new clothing line. Photographed by @KristinLeeMoolman, styled by @SuzanneKoller, makeup by @lauren.parsons, hair by Yusef (@yusefhairnyc), manicure by Jenny Longworth (@jennynails), set design by Andrew Tomlinson (@tomotattle).
When asked about being the first black woman in charge of a major luxury Paris house, Rihanna revealed she was unaware of it until she had been in talks with LVMH for a few months.
“You’re going to be black wherever you go,” she said, noting that the issue in the fashion industry is “never” alleviated. “And I don’t know if it’s unfortunate or fortunate, because I love being black. So, sorry for those who don’t like it — that’s the first thing you see before you even hear my voice . . . I do know that the reason I’m here is not because I’m black. It’s because of what I have to offer.”
“I’ve been slowly evolving throughout the fashion world,” says #Rihanna. “First wearing it, buying it, being recognized for my style and then collaborating with brands. I never just wanted to put my name on something and sell my license. I’m very hands-on, so I wanted to take it slowly and gain respect as a designer.” Click the link in our bio for a first look at @badgalriri’s new fashion line @Fenty, created in partnership with #LVMH, and to read her full interview with the playwright @JeremyOHarris. Photographed by @KristinLeeMoolman, styled by @SuzanneKoller, makeup by @lauren.parsons, hair by Yusef (@yusefhairnyc), manicure by Jenny Longworth (@jennynails), set design by Andrew Tomlinson (@tomotattle).
“I want to be as disruptive as possible,” says #Rihanna. “The brand is not traditional. There is no runway show. It’s a new way of doing things because I believe that this is where fashion is going to go eventually.” When Fenty.com goes live on May 29, it will be one of few luxury brands to commit fully to online sales: There are no plans for runway shows, flagship boutiques or third-party sales through department stores. New clothes will instead “drop” each month on the website, similar to the model pioneered by the streetwear brand Supreme. Click the link in our bio for more on @badgalriri’s new fashion line @Fenty, created in partnership with @LVMH. Photographed by @KristinLeeMoolman, styled by @SuzanneKoller, makeup by @lauren.parsons, hair by Yusef (@yusefhairnyc), manicure by Jenny Longworth (@jennynails), set design by Andrew Tomlinson (@tomotattle).
“Women are forces of this earth. We are multifaceted, complex, vulnerable yet bulletproof, and FENTY speaks to all of our intricacies. Some days I want to be submissive, many days I’m completely in charge and most days I feel like being both….so it was imperative that we created a line versatile enough to embrace and celebrate us in that way. The collections are easily worn together and meant to be staples in our wardrobe. I’m just hyped to see people in my clothes, man,” explains Rihanna in a press release by the LVMH group on the impending collection.
The brand continued that the FENTY brand would reflect Rihanna’s own style, her character, and experiences and in turn, empower the audience and customers, transforming their attitude through our clothes and silhouettes.
Inspired by a worldwide community beyond traditional boundaries, FENTY embraces a fundamental freedom: a freedom from convention and rules.
The group also revealed that FENTY would operate outside of the traditional seasonal fashion schedule, retailing via multiple incremental Releases on a “See-Now-Wear-Now” model. Each of the releases, focused on a specific selection of product, will express a new facet of a woman and her wardrobe.
A luxury brand for the 21st century, FENTY will operate from a digital flagship – www.FENTY.com.
