Rihanna‘s fashion appeal always has been her ability to seamlessly blend street style and high fashion, long ago paving the path for the high/low fashion look that is now all the rage. In her first show, titled Fenty x Puma, she flashed her talent for tapping into the fashion moment, showing sexy sporty looks that ranged from Goth and club kid-inspired when paired with elevated creepers and modern day vixen when paired with Puma-logo kitten heel boots.
Yesterday in discussing Kanye’s Yeezy 3 collection, we saw the hitch in the collection his women’s offerings and this is where Rihanna has it all over her fashion and musical peer. Operating sans the heavy yoke of the male gaze, she’s created looks that celebrate the greater freedom women have to express a multi-faceted personality through fashion, whether Tomboyish or super femmy. Conversely of course, winning over the male customer despite all the buzz around unisex appeal likely will be a bigger challenge for Rihanna.
Influenced by a combination of Japanese street culture with Gothic overtones, the black and white collection’s silhouettes included a floor length kimono robe, retro tear-away track suits pants, lace up details shown on jersey corsets, bodysuits and dresses, boxing shorts, plus a furry over-sized bomber jackets and matching fanny pack. The footwear was made up of a range of exaggerated flatform shoes and boots, sporty kitten heel booties, trainer sneakers and an over-the-knee boot. “It’s Japanese street culture with a haunting twist. I played with texture and silhouettes and all of the fabrics are luxurious. I reinterpreted the traditional in my way,” said Rihanna.
Guests at the show included Anna Wintour, Wale, Travis Scott, Jeremy Scott and Naomi Campbell. In a final touch that reflected Rih’s appreciation for a good fête, guests were offered glasses of champagne at the end of the presentation, setting up an instant after-party that felt spontaneous and fun.
According to press, the Fenty trainer sneaker will launch on February 26th, and that fur slide Rihanna wore all last year will launch in April with the new colors of the creeper hitting stores in May. Items shown on the runway last night will hit retail beginning in September of this year.
