JOANNE watkinson
DID RIHANNA RANGE STRIKE A BUM NOTE?
LUXURY conglomerate Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) is “pressing pause” on the Fenty by Rihanna ready-to-wear collection after just two years.
Speculation as to the reason why included that perhaps the pandemic and logistics were the issue. Rihanna, who as creative director and CEO for the label, became the first black woman to head up an LVMH brand, is based in the US and her design team is in Paris.
But, in an age where virtual technology makes cross-atlantic meetings easier than ever, it seems an unlikely scenario.
The disconnect between the Grammy award-winning star’s young fan base and the high price point of the clothes seems a more plausible explanation.
Its no surprise that, coming from the owners of Dior, Givenchy and Celine, the Fenty collection was at a luxury price point, with hoodies at £250 and dresses and shoes upwards of £500.
It was the first time the French group had launched its own brand since Christian Lacroix in the
80s, so it obviously wanted it to pack a punch, but pricing out those who want to buy into the Bad Girl singer’s style could have been a big mistake.
It’s not all bad news for Rihanna though. The 32-year-old’s Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin collections, also owned by LVMH, continue to be a huge success, as does her Savage x Fenty Lingerie collection (a collaboration between Rihanna and Tech-style Fashion Group). Tellingly, the prices on both the underwear and make-up are significantly lower than the clothing – a Fenty bra and Lip Stain both retailing for less than £20 each.
The intimates and the beauty have all the compelling factors associated with Riri, celebrating diversity and inclusivity through the models and offering an unmatched range of foundations for every skin colour.
And, with the chart-topper herself as the face and body of the brands, they are equally appealing, minus the hefty price tag.
Did LVMH misjudge the spending power of Rihanna’s fans, or was is that the luxury shoppers weren’t keen on spending such a lot on a celebrity collection?
Let’s see if they ‘un-pause’ in the future, or just press stop for good.