In May, LVMH announced Rihanna as the first woman of color to be named as a designer at this iconic fashion conglomerate. LVMH Moët Hennesey is THE largest fashion conglomerate in the world and Rihanna is now bringing a new modern twist to the fashion house with her upcoming Fenty fashion line.
This announcement alone has paved the way for thousands of young black girls around the world dreaming big. We’re happy for you Rihanna and in honor of this announcement we’ll break down what this means for black women everywhere, the fashion industry as a whole, and much more:
Putting Things Into Context….
So…let’s chat about what this REALLY means.
In short, LVMH is one of the most powerful fashion organizations in the world. It houses names such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy… just to name a few. Rihanna’s Fenty is set to be the newest house under this organization.
This announcement truly doesn’t come as a surprise to us. Rihanna has been on the radar of the fashion industry for years. In 2011, she began her collaboration with stylist Mel Ottenburg. In 2014, she blessed our feeds with her flawless sheer, crystal-studded dress design by Adam Selman to accept her award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America as Fashion Icon of the Year. And who could forget her gorgeous Met Gala looks!
Since then Rihanna has experienced great success with the introduction of her widely popular Fenty Beauty makeup line that was highly acclaimed for its focus on people of color. In addition to that, her Fenty x Savage lingerie line was widely accepted for its inclusion of a range of body types.
Now as Rihanna takes on LVMH she does so as a smart, independent black woman who, instead of abandoning her other passions as other celebs have done to make it big in the fashion industry, uses her following to create a younger, modern base for LVMH.
The Change Rihanna Will Bring
The fashion industry is becoming outdated in a world where inclusivity is thriving. Rihanna is about to turn the fashion industry upside down.
Inclusion in the Luxury Space
For years, top fashion houses have catered to the Victoria’s Secret style woman, disregarding the wide range of curvy body types. Rihanna, a curvy black woman herself, is setting out to change this.
Rihanna has stated herself “I’m thick and curvy right now, so if I can’t wear my own stuff then, I mean, that’s not gonna work right?” We’re happy to say that Fenty is offering their ready-to-wear lines in sizes up to US 14. Fenty is a line designed by a real woman for real women.
Inspiration for Young Black Women
The luxury fashion industry has been predominately run by white women and men for years. For young black women dreaming of making it in the fashion world, this can be disheartening. Rihanna has flipped that standard upside down.
Already, Rihanna is showcasing models of different ethnicities in promo videos and photoshoots. This is enough to make young women of color around the world realize that luxury fashion is within reach.
Modernization of the Luxury Fashion Industry
Traditionally, the luxury fashion industry operates by showcasing their Fall or Spring collections at a fashion show, only for eager customers to have to wait months until these items become available to the public. Rihanna is saying no to this concept and is making her designs available just days after their release. She’s also abandoning the traditional brick-and-mortar store model and opting for a completely ecommerce, direct-to-consumer model.
All of this is in efforts to make her luxury designs more accessible than ever.
Rihanna is using her platform to express what genuine inclusivity looks like and we’re here for it. Rihanna and Fenty are a true recipe for success and we can’t wait to see what’s next for our girl RiRi. Check back in with The Shade Room for all your much needed Fenty news!
