Rihanna “There Needs To Be More Black Women In High-Fashion”

10Jun10

Since Rihanna rose to fame back in 2005, her celebrity has walked the line between R&B star and fashion plate. Like Madonna before her, Rihanna swapped her lengthy given name for a punchier mononym and became as well-known for her chameleonic stage ensembles as she is for the songs she sings while she’s up there.

In 2008, Rihanna’s singular sense of style and growing presence in the fashion world caught the eye of Gucci creative director Frida Giannini, who signed her to Gucci’s Tattoo Heart Collection Campaign to benefit UNICEF. Today Rihanna recalls what a “big deal” that was, saying there should be more black women in fashion. She said to Elle:

It’s clear there are definitely fewer black women in the high-fashion industry. One of the things I respected most about Gucci was that they did a print campaign with me. I’m a black girl on a fashion spread for Gucci—that was a big deal.”

I respect designers who aren’t afraid to go outside the box. I went to a Jean Paul Gaultier show, and I saw girls who are thicker than me, beautiful and voluptuous and different ethnicities. That made me so excited. I thought, ‘Okay, I can work that, for sure.’”

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