Dive Brief:
- LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton partnered with Robyn Rihanna Fenty to create a "luxury Maison" based in Paris named Fenty, according to an LVMH press release.
- The new company will be developed by Rihanna and will feature ready-to-wear apparel, shoes and accessories. The line will debut this spring, per the announcement.
- The last fashion house developed under the LVMH banner was Christian Lacroix in 1987. Rihanna will be the first woman to create an original brand and the first woman of color to launch a fashion house under the conglomerate, according to the company's history.
Dive Insight:
Rihanna continues to be a disruptive force in the fashion and beauty space.
The singer was hailed as a groundbreaker when she launched Fenty Beauty, her first venture with LVMH. The effort was widely praised due to the wide array of foundation and other product offerings that catered to shoppers of diverse skin tones. The beauty products landed at Sephora and did $100 million in sales in 40 days, according to Business of Fashion.
Similarly, Rihanna's Savage x Fenty launch in 2018 developed a devoted fan base due to color options and size inclusively, specifically during a time when Victoria's Secret seemed to dig in its heels about narrow definitions of beauty.
The runaway success in both arenas has seemingly given Rihanna wide room for creative control on the venture, with the singer mentioning "no artistic limits" when discussing the new brand, and LVMH's announcement declaring that the venture will be centered on the superstar.
"To support Rihanna to start up the Fenty Maison, we have built a talented and multicultural team supported by the Group resources," Chairman and CEO of LVMH Bernard Arnault said in a statement.
The move positions the fashion conglomerate in a number of ways. Rihanna has already proven overwhelming financial success with her makeup line, and a fashion house builds a foundation for exponential revenues. But, what the partnership also does is build a bridge to an upcoming generation that expects personalization, product diversity and social awareness.
