Miss. Robyn Rihanna Fenty has officially done what Victoria’s Secret has had the chance to do for 19 years. Rihanna created her sexy lingerie line, Savage x Fenty in May of 2018 and she simply can’t be stopped.
Rihanna is currently 32 years old and has been in the industry since 2005. It’s no surprise her experience traveling all over the world has broadened her meaning of culture. When Savage x Fenty’s first show launched on September 10, 2019 the internet broke. The amount of diversity and inclusivity is what set this fashion show apart from many. Rihanna knew just how to market her brand to reach all walks of life and that’s impactful.
Victoria’s Secret is notoriously known for only showcasing very tall and skinny women with little diversity. Victoria’s Secret aired their fashion shows in the winter of 2001 and it was successful for many years. This was in part due to the fact that they didn’t have much competition just yet. It was no secret that Victoria’s Secret was declining in sales and conversation. Yet their team did nothing but sell to a private equity firm instead.
Rihanna saw her opportunity and she seized it. I don’t blame her because her lingerie isn’t just sexy, it’s beautiful too. Victoria’s Secret created their lingerie for pure sexiness and not truly for the wearers’ pleasure. Rihanna knew that today’s society is different and that we needed something to reflect our ever evolving selfs. The perfect way to do that is with lingerie. After watching the behind the scenes in Savage x Fenty’s second show, I can see just how passionate Rihanna is as a fashion designer. She takes everything about her work seriously, from the fabrics she uses from different countries, to how it’ll look and feel on all body types. Victoria’s Secret never cared too much for other types of consumers because what they were doing for years had made their company worth billions. Their playbook was based around unrealistic beauty standards that continue to contribute to many people’s self esteem issues.
Rihanna has reminded me that being sexy isn’t just how you look but it’s also how you feel. How I feel in lingerie is how everyone should get to feel regardless of their age, gender, or size.