The Reign of Rihanna

When it comes to self confidence, who better comes to mind than girl boss Rihanna? From her successful makeup and fashion lines to her eight studio albums, she is a force of feminism, diversity, and a role model for body positivity. 

Recently, Rihanna has been in the spotlight for her body-inclusive runway show at New York Fashion Week. Her brand, Savage x Fenty, is being hailed for featuring a diverse range of ethnicities, shapes and sizes of women. Among the models were Cara Delevingne, Laverne Cox, and Aquaria from RuPaul’s Drag Race. 

Much discussion surrounding the show compare the businesswoman’s line to that of Victoria’s Secret (VS). While VS is widely recognized for its uniform marketing, Fenty appears as everything that the other is not: diverse, unique, and an inspiration to young girls everywhere that every body is a perfect body. 

After its forty-two year reign, VS is finally becoming too outdated to reach the audience it once did. All women recognize the brand’s usage of scary-skinny models. For many decades, it was the standard of what women should look like. But now, with fourth wave feminism efforts, womens’ perception of beauty is evolving. No longer are young girls accepting the narrow minded figure VS is selling. Simply put, the brand doesn’t preach a relatable image anymore. 

In the current day and age of technology, it’s difficult for women have a strong relationship with their own bodies. Unfortunately, it’s inevitable to see famous influencers via social media who look much different than the general public. That’s why body positivity coming from famous celebrities is so important. Rihanna’s role in celebrating all body types and shapes—through her clothing, makeup, and ever developing career—forms a clear message: there’s no ideal physique⁠ and that is perfectly ok! 

Rihanna’s quest for an inclusive brand doesn’t just stop with lingerie. Her makeup line, Fenty, offers some of the most diverse ranges that no other brands could ever dream of matching. Take, for instance, her fifty shades of Pro Filt’r Foundation. Compared to Tarte’s Shape Tape Foundation, which came under backlash for having mostly white shades, Rihanna’s brand transforms beauty into a space for all women to play and create.

What really makes her brand stand out is how intimate the brandowner got with her own products. To promote her makeup line, RiRi created Tutorial Tuesdays on YouTube. Each video demonstrated looks she put on herself, creating an up close and personal experience with her fans. Not all CEOs are capable of using their own products, especially in such a comfortable and unique setting. Even in the bloopers, Rihanna’s confidence and folly playing with makeup is palpable. 

Throughout her career, Rihanna has always been an advocate for confidence and accepting one’s own body image. Within her far-reaching makeup palettes down to her choices for models, she always illuminates what makes women unique. As she continues to evolve her brand, she remains an unstoppable force of power, beauty, and self-love.

The Savage x Fenty fashion show will stream worldwide on Sept. 20 through Amazon Prime. Sit back and be inspired. It’s time for a new wave of feminism.

• body image
• body positivity
• fashion
• feminism
• rihanna