I really like Rihanna. I think her creative passion is pure and she has neatly and cautiously carved out a special place for herself in everyone’s heart. You either like her authenticity, or her ability to just naturally make you feel like you are part of everything she is doing. She is like the girl next door that everyone likes or the popular girl in high school that everyone fawns over.
After seeing images of her recently debuted collection, I, like many others know deep down inside that the clothes aren’t anything incredibly special. However, I still feel this urge to buy something. She has this magnetism that makes you like anything she produces, just because it’s coming from her.
The clothes come across as barely anything to do with an individual house aesthetic and just something that is reliant and more fixated on Rihanna herself, which is completely fine. Nevertheless, it doesn’t change the fact that because of business models like this, it is by extension influencing the way luxury is regarded. It feels as if we live in a time where brands can’t exist without some form of endorsement or celebrity name attached to them. Perhaps because we are drowning in options or it’s the only way for them to be heard in all of the noise.
What will become of Fenty when Rihanna herself gets older? How will the brand sustain its image over the years as new pop stars emerge on the scene? These are the questions being asked, but I guess we are here for a good time and not a long time. So, enjoy it while it’s trending, I suppose is the mentality.
The aesthetic is somewhat of a cross between Off-White and Y-Project, both of which are streetwear brands whose oversized feminine sporty aesthetic you can find almost anywhere. The difference here is that Rihanna making it or the people who are working for her.
As much as I said anything really and truly is possible and her story is awe inspiring, it doesn’t change the fact that fashion is becoming less of an industry for people with design skill and more of a place for people with huge social media followings and strong pop culture influence.
Current and upcoming creative people face the most difficult feat yet. It is no longer about having the skill and capital that will determine your success, but your ability to drive and maintain a presence for your brand. Good skill just doesn’t cut it these days. http://instagram.com/theonlinerunway
