Rihanna, 31, officially confirmed her partnership with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the largest luxury group in the world, on Friday, May 10. The partnership means that Rihanna will have her very own high fashion maison in Paris, named Fenty. This is huge news for the singer, who has managed to create her own empire thus fur, with her multiple Fenty x Puma collections, creating her own lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty, and her very own cosmetics company, Fenty Beauty. However, the news that she will have her own LVMH brand, is by far her biggest accomplishment, and the news of the partnership with the stylish songstress checks off a lot of firsts for both Rihanna and LVMH. Rihanna couldn’t contain her excitement, posting the news to her Instagram, writing: “big day for the culture. thank you Mr. Arnault for believing in this little girl from the left side of an island, and for giving me the opportunity to grow with you at @LVMH. This is proof that nothing is impossible. Glory be to God.”
1. Rihanna is the first woman to create an original brand at LVMH.
With high fashion brands including Dior, Givenchy, Celine and Fendi, there has never been a brand at LVMH created by a woman. Rihanna has officially made history with her new Fenty brand, which is named after herself, as her real full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
2. Rihanna is the first woman of color to head her own maison with LVMH.
Aside from being the first woman to have her own original brand at the company, she is also the first woman of color to be at the top of an LVMH maison. A maison is a luxury fashion house, and Rihanna’s Fenty maison will be in Paris.
3. Fenty is the first new house created by LVMH since Christian Lacroix in 1987.
Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, shared a statement about the partnership, “Everybody knows Rihanna as a wonderful singer, but through our partnership at Fenty Beauty, I discovered a true entrepreneur, a real CEO and a terrific leader. She naturally finds her full place within LVMH. To support Rihanna to start up the Fenty maison, we have built a talented and multicultural team supported by the group resources. I am proud that LVMH is leading this venture and wish it will be a great success.”
4. Fenty will include ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories.
The fashion company will debut the first collection this spring. Rihanna shared in a statement what it was like to make the new brand, “Designing a line like this with LVMH is an incredibly special moment for us. Mr. Arnault has given me a unique opportunity to develop a fashion house in the luxury sector, with no artistic limits. I couldn’t imagine a better partner both creatively and business-wise, and I’m ready for the world to see what we have built together.”
5. This partnership marks LVMH’s first foray into the pop culture era.
This marks the first time that LVMH has ever had a brand from a pop culture icon, singer, and actress, officially ranking Rihanna in the same playing field as legendary designers, Hedi Slimane, of Celine, and Nicolas Ghesquière, of Louis Vuitton.