MAKING HISTO (RIH) WITH BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé and Rihanna are on the covers of the world’s biggest fashion magazines. And no, it isn’t a competition. Or a cat fight, writes Buhle Mbonambi

IT WAS at the 2005 World Music Awards when Rihanna, Teairra Mari and Amerie (then with just one “e”) paid tribute to Destiny’s Child members, Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé Knowles.

It was an interesting choice of performers. All three had promising careers, with Amerie and Rihanna releasing singles that had impressed the industry earlier that year. Looking at the placement of the group, Amerie and Teairra were supposed to have the success, not the freshfaced Rihanna, who didn’t have the sex appeal and performance stamina (or the voice) of the two ladies. However she did have the elusive X-factor and it was at that performance that Beyoncé believed that Rihanna would have a successful career. This was confirmed at a Def Jam showcase, where Beyoncé told LA Reid that he must focus on Rihanna as she had real potential and something special.

Thirteen years later, they are both on top of the world. Both are respected musicians, influential celebrities, and have the fashion world eating out the palm of their hands. Between them they have been on the cover of US Vogue nine times (Rihanna, 5 and Beyoncé, 4) in less than a decade. Lupita Nyong’o is the only other black celebrity with multiple US Vogue covers, with four. That not only speaks to their selling power, but how important they are in pop culture and the fashion industry.

Both are featured in the September issues of UK and US Vogue. Rihanna made history as the first black person to be on the cover of UK Vogue’s September issue, while Beyoncé also made history as the first black person to cover the US Vogue’s September issue twice. She also made history for using Tyler Mitchell to shoot the cover image, the first black person to shoot the cover image in the magazine’s 126-year history.

And yet these moments have been ruined by people’s endless desire to pit the two stars against each other and it’s mind boggling how they have missed the point.

The only similarities between the two are the flower headdresses used in the cover images. Rihanna’s is bold, fashion forward and edgy. Beyoncé’s is bohemian, Frida Kahlo-esque. And what both covers depict is the stars’ respective branding.

Rihanna has always been edgy and fashion forward. Beyoncé plays it safe, in comparison. The covers and the fashion spreads, show that.

Rihanna worked closely with the editor of UK Vogue, Edward Enninful, to choose the looks she wore on UK Vogue. Beyoncé controlled everything she did for US Vogue. Their distinct voices are evident in the pages of both magazines.

What matters more than anything, is that two of the biggest magazines in fashion, edited by two of the most influential names in fashion, Anna Wintour and Enninful, chose two powerful black women to cover their most important issues of the year.

That’s what we should be talking about, not pitting two women against each other.