Rihanna
Singer
She is the first black face of Dior and the most bankable magazine cover star in terms of sell-through.
Rihanna is singer, businesswoman, fashion designer, actress and philanthropist. She has been featured on the cover of major fashion magazines, including American and British Vogue, i-D and W Magazine, and is cited as a fashion inspiration and trendsetter from the high street to luxury sectors. In 2019 she launched a ready-to-wear label, Fenty, with LVMH, becoming the first fashion brand launched from scratch by LVMH since Christian Lacroix was founded in 1987, and the first woman of colour at the top of an LVMH maison.
Within the industry, she has garnered the attention of Alexander Wang , Tom Ford and Peter Dundas . “She is a very talented dresser,” Dundas told British Vogue, “in the way that Kate Moss is. She’s an amplified version of what a lot of girls want to look like, but she’s always one step ahead of the game.”
In June 2015, the singer announced her new line, $CHOOL Kills that will sell accessories, purses and clothing. This follows on from her widely successful collaboration with River Island, her make up collection with MAC cosmetics and her creative direction for Puma womenswear.
More recently, Rihanna signed a deal with LVMH to create a beauty brand, Fenty Beauty. It generated €500 million in its first full year in operation, and managed to rewrite at least some of the rules of the beauty industry by making 40 shades of foundation the minimum requirement. She has also shifted the conversation in lingerie with the launch of Savage x Fenty, a size-inclusive line.
A regular on both the fashion week circuit and red carpet, Rihanna has been dressed by Givenchy to Alaïa. Working closely with her stylist Mel Ottenberg, she has also helped to launch the careers of emerging designers including KTZ and Adam Selman. The ‘Naked’ CFDA gown was designed by Selman, garnering attention from the press.
She is frequently praised for her ability to mix high-end and high street fashion, creating unique looks that inspire not only the masses, but major fashion designers.
In September 2016, Rihanna launched her Fenty Puma by Rihanna line after showing her first runway collection for the brand during New York Fashion Week's Autumn/Winter 2016 season. The partnership ended in 2018.
VITAL STATISTICS
What is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
ExploreWhat is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
ExploreWhatever Happened to the ‘Fenty Beauty’ Effect?
In 2017, the launch of Rihanna’s ground-breaking Fenty Beauty forced the beauty industry into unflattering light. Shade inclusivity was supposed to become table stakes, but in many ways, the industry is backsliding.
Rihanna Returns to Dior
The scope of the celebrity singer’s new Dior deal remains unknown, but industry sources say the former brand ambassador will star in a campaign lensed by Steven Klein.
The Year Ahead: How Brands Are Reinventing Outdoor Wear
The lines between functionality and style will continue to blur as consumers continue to embrace ”gorpcore” and competition increases among technical outdoor wear players, according to The State of Fashion 2024.
How Mini Beauty Became Big Business
Once seen as a last-minute impulse purchase, bite-sized products are becoming a main attraction for prestige brands and retailers looking to widen their customer base.
Checking In on Instagram’s Threads
Usage is creeping back up, but many of the biggest beauty and fashion brands and influencers are still taking a wait-and-see approach to the platform.
Does Fashion Need a New LA Fashion Week?
One of the creative masterminds behind Fenty is part of a group of new owners aiming to reboot LA Fashion Week with new formats and ties to entertainment, beauty and wellness.
How to Decode Gen-Z’s Evolving Relationship With Beauty
The State of Fashion: Beauty explores why outsized influence of today’s teens and twentysomethings over consumer industries mean beauty brands face a fast-changing challenge to adapt their businesses — from marketing to pricing strategies — to remain attractive to this hugely discerning cohort.
How to Decode Gen-Z’s Evolving Relationship With Beauty
The State of Fashion: Beauty explores why outsized influence of today’s teens and twentysomethings over consumer industries mean beauty brands face a fast-changing challenge to adapt their businesses — from marketing to pricing strategies — to remain attractive to this hugely discerning cohort.
Beauty at the Met Gala: Smoky Eyes, Red Lipstick and Not Much Else
Beauty will always be on the sidelines at fashion’s “Super Bowl,” but this year all of the beautiful people just looked beautiful.
What Beauty Can Learn From Booze
From the way spirits are marketed to the success of celebrity-founded lines, alcohol offers a roadmap for standing out in a crowded market.
Can Puma Strike Gold Twice With Rihanna?
The first Fenty x Puma tie-up wrote the textbook for successful celebrity-brand collaborations. The pair will have to work harder to get the same reception in a market that’s now saturated with sneaker launches, and where elegance is elbowing out streetwear on the runway.
Can Puma Strike Gold Twice With Rihanna?
The first Fenty x Puma tie-up wrote the textbook for successful celebrity-brand collaborations. The pair will have to work harder to get the same reception in a market that’s now saturated with sneaker launches, and where elegance is elbowing out streetwear on the runway.