Rihanna Becomes 1st Woman To Create Original Brand W/ LVMH & 1st Woman Of Color At Top Of LVMH Maison

Rihanna

Rihanna Becomes 1st Woman To Create Original Brand W/ LVMH & 1st Woman Of Color At Top Of LVMH Maison

Since almost at the start of her career, singer/beauty mogul Rihanna has been a fashion innovator and trendsetter. Now, in a historic partnership, Rihanna is officially stepping into the fashion big leagues with a luxury brand of her own.

In an official announcement from partner LVMH (Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SE) and Rihanna herself, after months of rumors and speculation, the high-end luxury brand from the singer is a reality. According to reports, Rihanna’s addition to the LVMH stable, since they are the world’s largest luxury group, is breaking barriers and making history in a number of ways.

With the debut of her Fenty luxury brand, Rihanna will become the first woman to create an original brand at LVMH, the first woman of color at the top of an LVMH maison, and her line will be the first new house created by the group since Christian Lacroix in 1987. It joins such storied heritage brands as Dior, Givenchy, Celine and Fendi and positions Rihanna as a breakthrough designer on a variety of levels.

Fenty will be based in Paris and include ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories. According to a statement via LVMH the brand is “is centered on Rihanna, developed by her, and takes shape with her vision.” Rihanna is moving quickly to get her line out to the masses, as it’s first collection is set to drop on May 22^nd.

In a statement, Rihanna had this to say:

“Designing a line like this with LVMH is an incredibly special moment for us. Mr. Arnault has given me a unique opportunity to develop a fashion house in the luxury sector, with no artistic limits. I couldn’t imagine a better partner both creatively and business-wise, and I’m ready for the world to see what we have built together.”

She followed that up with a post on her Instagram that read:

“Big day for the culture. Thank you Mr. Arnault for believing in this little girl from the left side of an island, and for giving me the opportunity to grow with you at @LVMH. This is proof that nothing is impossible. Glory be to God.”

Bernard Arnault, President and CEO of LVMH expressed his excitement about working with Rihanna:

“Everybody knows Rihanna as a wonderful singer, but through our partnership at Fenty Beauty, I discovered a true entrepreneur, a real C.E.O. 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.”

Rihanna already has her successful Fenty beauty brand and her lingerie collection Savage x Fenty, so it will be interesting to see how her new luxury brand fits alongside her existing ones. Congrats to her!

What do you think about Rihanna’s new brand? Let us know in the comments!