ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULATGetty Images
On Monday, Rihanna made the unusual decision to skip the Met Ball, an event that she regularly dominates. On Friday, it was confirmed that she would be creating an original fashion line for LVMH under the Fenty name. The first collection is set to be released for spring 2019–in other words, any day now.
Though fans may lament the fact that the mogul hasn’t released an album in years, we have to understand that these money moves take time and when Rihanna completes her quest for world domination, all national anthems will be Rihanna songs and we’ll have all the new music our hearts desire.
According to the New York Times, Rihanna is the first woman to create a brand at LVMH and “the first woman of color at the top of an LVMH maison,” thus making official her already massive influence on the fashion world. After a successful partnership with Puma, creating four Fenty x Puma activewear collections, and a later foray into lingerie with Savage x Valentine’s, this is a natural next step for Rihanna and for a world that marvels it was able to clothe itself at all before she came along.
The Fenty Maison, per a press release, will be “centered on Rihanna, developed by her, and takes shape with her vision.” This is a good practice for pretty much everything. “Welcome to my restaurant: it is centered on Rihanna, developed by her, and takes shape with her vision.”
“This is my oldest child, they are centered on Rihanna, developed by her, and takes shape with her vision.”
“What are my qualifications for this job? I’m centered on Rihanna, developed by her, and take shape with her vision. When do I start?”
Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH praised the multi-hyphenate talent in the joint announcement of the project. “Everybody knows Rihanna as a wonderful singer,” he said, echoing the opinion of the entire world and all of its inhabitants. “But through our partnership at Fenty Beauty, I discovered a true entrepreneur, a real CEO and a terrific leader. She naturally finds her full place within LVMH. To support Rihanna to start up the Fenty Maison, we have built a talented and multicultural team supported by the Group resources. I am proud that LVMH is leading this venture and wish it will be a great success.”
The fact that the first collection from Fenty will be unveiled in just a few weeks is a dramatic move signaling the designer’s intention and ability to shake up the marketplace. It is also your first and only warning that you should probably go empty your savings account right now to get ready. After all, this is Rihanna’s world and everything in it is hers.