Getty ImagesIlya S. Savenok
Rihanna’s commitment to inclusivity in the beauty and fashion industry didn’t end after she launched her beauty line Fenty Beauty. In an industry that’s long promoted unrealistic beauty and size standards, the singer-turned-beauty-mogul-turned-fashion-designer has found a way to challenge the idea of what it means to be beautiful and sexy with the launch of her inaugural Savage x Fenty line in May.
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Getty ImagesJP Yim
Getty ImagesAlbert Urso
So for the collection’s New York Fashion Week runway debut, Rihanna offered attendees a momentary respite from traditional fashion week presentations and brought us into a Garden of Eden-meets-futurism installation that featured woman of all different shapes, colors, and sizes. In a world where other fashion and beauty brands are playing a desperate game of catch up when it comes diversity and inclusivity, Savage x Fenty is in a league of its own.
Getty ImagesAlbert Urso
Getty ImagesAlbert Urso
Fashion talks a big game when it comes to diversity, but Rihanna can actually back it up. Ahead, we caught up with Rihanna to discuss her Savage x Fenty show, why moms are the VIPs of women, and more.
How’d you come up with the concept for the show?
I wanted to include every woman. I wanted every woman on the stage with different energies, different races, body types, different stages in their womanhood, culture. I wanted women to feel celebrated and that we started this shit. We own this. This is our land because really it is. Women are running the world right now and it’s too bad for men.
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The addition of Slick Woods and the other pregnant woman was especially powerful in this show. How’d you convince them to be a part of the presentation?
Slick and I have been working non-stop throughout her pregnancy from Fenty x Puma to Fenty Beauty—I promise you. I’m not the type to judge any woman about any part of her womanhood, especially motherhood because that’s like the VIP of womanhood. Bringing a life into the world is no joke. I have a lot of respect for those women and those who choose to continue to work and get it done while being pregnant. I have a lot of respect for Slick and every other pregnant woman working until their due date. I’ll never tell her she can’t do a show unless she tells me I can’t because I’m about to drop in a second.
Getty ImagesAlbert Urso
Getty ImagesAlbert Urso
What Savage x Fenty pieces do you like to lounge in?
I like to be in a robe all the time but it depends on my mood and my weight. If I’m having a fat day, I’m gonna reach for something that conceals or sucks it all in. If I feel a little more risqué, then I can be in a t-shirt bra that makes my titties all perky. I like to reach for the grey pieces like the cami. I like to feel comfortable, it all depends on how you’re feeling.
What do you do to pick yourself up and regain your confidence when you’re not feeling like a “savage?”
To be honest, I pray a lot because any negativity is just the devil trying to ruin my day. My core is always gonna be there, you are gonna be you every single day of your life and nobody can take that from you. Whether it’s your sexiness or confidence, it’s gonna be there. I am a savage so everything I do is gonna be savage. Savage is not about looking sexy, it’s not about the product—it’s all about you. It’s all about how you feel. You cannot fake sexy, what you need to do is find it. Clear all that negative shit out, get to your sexy, and own it—that shit is yours.