Rihanna Takes a Bow: Savage x Fenty Makes Fashion for Everyone
While the world patiently awaited Rihanna's ninth studio album, the music star decided to take things in a different direction. In 2018, Rihanna launched a new company called Savage x Fenty, a lingerie line that would later come to rival that of the famed Victoria's Secret. Though the brand’s bright colors and modern designs could be attributed to its initial success, it's the promise of inclusivity that attracts so many to her brand.
One of the largest problems in the fashion industry is its lack of inclusivity. For the longest time, runways have been walked by models that all bear resemblance to one another. For young girls drawn to the allure of modeling and fashion, the lack of certain body types appreciated within the industry can be extremely discouraging. The fashion industry is known to put forth the notion that fashion is for one type of body, but Rihanna changed that perception. Savage x Fenty was her way to fight back against an industry that was not creating pieces for the average body. Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty collab shows that feeling beautiful isn’t just for the body type the runway suggests. Beauty cannot take on one singular shape, color, vibe, or idea.
Image Courtesy: Dazed Digital
One of my favorite parts about the way Rihanna chooses to market her products in the Savage x Fenty line is her inclusivity with men’s bodies. Oftentimes, society forgets that men’s bodies need to be equally represented just as women’s do. Fashion is not just for women, so it is just as important to focus on how men can be negatively affected. Rihanna did not leave anyone out when tackling the exclusivity of brands around her. She wanted to show viewers at home that they are not the only girl, or boy, in the world (Rihanna pun right there) that looks the way they do. Not only is she making fashion more inclusive for everyone, but she is also creating a safe environment for people to be confident in their creative choices. In her Savage x Fenty show, the models Rihanna cast were an accurate representation of the bodies we see every day. Models of every size, skin color, and gender graced the runway, proving that exclusivity in fashion is a thing of the past.
The world is growing, and it is time for fashion to follow suit. For too long high fashion and big-name brands excluded certain bodies. Rihanna herself said "one day I can literally fit into something that is bodycon, and then the next day — the next week — I need something oversized. I feel like that's how everyone should go after fashion because it's an individual thing" (Time). Fashion can be a daunting idea in itself, with the ever-changing trends and having to put yourself out there. It is even more stressful worrying about how your body will look in a piece when the model doesn’t look like you. Rihanna casting every body type with her Savage x Fenty models shows people everywhere that feeling confident with your body and having style can be achieved at the same time. What is considered “stylish” is up to you anyway, so why stress? The best part about fashion is it is an outward expression of ourselves, so why not rock the pieces we adore while loving the way our bodies look in them? If Rihanna can do it, we can too.
Strike Out,
Writer: Trystan Fogg
Editor: Alex Brooks