Why was Rihanna honored as “street style queen” at fashion weeks

Date posted: 11/30/23

Before the CFDA “Fashion Icon” title belonged to Zendaya in 2021, before Doja Cat, Bella Hadid or Julia Fox shook up street style at every fashion week, all those thrones belonged to Rihanna. 

If you only know Rihanna’s reputation through photos of her walking around the streets with unique fashion outfits and a pregnant belly, stepping out of a show or some prestigious red carpet with her fiance. A$AP Rocky, or his famous performance at Super Bowl 2023; Perhaps you don’t fully understand this “diamond” of Barbados. Since the mother of two children decided to temporarily stop her music activities at the peak of her career to conquer another peak of fame in the beauty world – with the birth of Fenty Beauty, fans have not stopped regretting. and disappointed. Although she no longer appears in front of the media to promote the album, Rihanna and her fashion looks are always a hot topic for both the entertainment and fashion world. 

Rihanna for W Magazine 2014
Rihanna for TUSH Magazine 2014

Why is Rihanna always the one who arrives late to fashion shows or the most prestigious red carpet on the planet, Met Gala, but Rihanna is the name that is most warmly welcomed? Perhaps thanks to her great contributions to the fashion world, from the “muse” of famous designers to a genuine “It-girl” or “trendsetter”. One of those contributions is Rihanna’s talent to attract all eyes from fans or the “sea” of flashes of light in every front of fashion week in 2014. “Fashion Icon” Award from the House Association American Fashion Design (CFDA) in the same year is a prestigious guarantee for this. Looking back at Rihanna’s play with fashion, the female singer really “played” her best. But Rihanna is not a “player” by the rules, instead she creates a new game and sets her own set of rules for the entire fashion industry. 

From the legendary “naked dress” to bold, seductive and distinctive interpretations of Chanel’s classic tweed, outfits throughout 2014 accurately replicated the outspoken statement. by Rihanna on the podium at CFDA that year – “She can beat me but she can’t beat my outfit”. Lanvin, Christian Dior, Comme des Garçons, Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Stella McCartney,… and even Chanel, Rihanna’s appearance on the front row made fashion weeks that year much more exciting and interesting. time is over. Not only the red carpet and famous shows, the name of the female owner of “Diamond” also had more and more weight on the fashion circuit at that time when she was invited by a series of famous brands to participate in advertising campaigns. . Rihanna becomes the face of Balmain’s Spring/Summer 2014 advertising campaigns. In an interview with the media, Olivier Roustering (Balmain’s CEO) once put Rihanna’s name on par with important things in his life. Previously, Rihanna also participated in the design process of two collections for River Island; At the same time, she collaborated with MAC cosmetics to create her own signature lipstick line.

In the fashion scene at that time, Rihanna – an emerging fashion icon at that time – also had to “compete” with many stars with unique fashion styles at the same time, typically Lady Gaga. If Lady Gaga resonates in the fashion world with abstract, highly artistic looks, Rihanna interprets fashion in a more realistic way, but still retains her uniqueness and individuality. And the person behind it, helping Rihanna not be a “loser” on every comparison scale, is longtime stylist Mel Ottenberg, with the help of designer Adam Selman. Before becoming the most famous stylist-star couple in the fashion industry, Mel Ottenberg polished Riri’s name with a stylish wardrobe on the “Loud” tour in 2011. At that time, every girl or All fashionistas are “crazy” about the female singer. With many years of experience working with many major fashion magazines as well as famous shows, Mel Ottenberg has raised an “Island girl” from a remote island to become a “Bad Gal Riri”, from a “Bad Gal Riri”. copy” of Beyonce to a Rihanna with 1-0-2. Not simply helping Rihanna stay presentable in public with expensive outfits, Mel Ottenberg also and the female star create fashion stories that are rarely “told” in the fashion industry. It is an interesting story of intersection between fashion, creativity, art, beauty and music, of a “witch” of transformation and a believer who is passionate about endless beauty and never stops experimenting. self. 

Although the fashion race is getting more and more bustling with the participation of a series of prestigious “candidates” such as Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Doja Cat,… even though Julia Fox made the online community “explode” with her dress made of nylon, but the anecdote about Rihanna “even wearing just a nylon bag is still beautiful” is still spreading strongly in the fashion industry. Rihanna’s image in 2014 is always an interesting story in the past and present, and is one of the prestigious proofs of the female star’s title as a timeless fashion icon.