Harper’s Bazaar has tapped Rihanna to grace its 150th anniversary March cover as shot by Mariano Vivanco and styled by her longtime stylist, Mel Ottenberg. The cover and editorial is a tribute to pilot Amelia Earhart, who in 1929 wrote an article for the magazine on how to fly fashionably. Taking inspiration from the story, Rihanna is shot standing on a reproduction of a red plane from the issue featuring Earhart.
An excerpt from Earhart’s article reads: “From observation it appears that one of the most popular outfits for summer flying is knickers and a sweater. These pilots look more as if they belonged on the fairway than on the runway. When I am flying in my little plane, I usually wear a sports costume with a rather full skirt and a close-fitting hat. Sometimes I slip a leather windbreaker on under my coat, for the temperature drops as one ascends. Most cabin planes are heated, by the way, so even this precaution isn’t necessary in them.”
Reflecting on Earhart as a role model, Rihanna stated, “There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer. Amelia Earhart was such a dynamic force in her industry, setting multiple aviation records in her time. So it was a no-brainer for me to team up with Harper’s Bazaar in honor of a woman who held her own with the big boys.”
Find more images on harpersbazaar.com.
