Rihanna Launches Fenty Fashion Brand with LVMH

It’s official. After months of speculation, Rihanna has partnered with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton to launch a new fashion label.

As part of the historic deal, the 31-year-old singer will “become the first woman to create an original brand at LVMH” and “the first woman of color at the top of an LVMH maison,” according to The New York Times. Fenty will also be the first new house created by LVMH since Christian Lacroix in 1987.

The Fenty brand joins other LVMH heritage labels including Dior, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Celine, and Fendi. It will be based in Paris and include ready-to-wear, shoes, and accessories, and “is centered on Rihanna, developed by her, and takes shape with her vision,” according to a press release.

.@FentyOfficial https://t.co/NXpjzyYZ2T pic.twitter.com/RWHyDElZOs

— Rihanna (@rihanna) May 10, 2019

LVMH has been working with Rihanna since 2017 to create and distribute its beauty line, Fenty Beauty. “Everybody knows Rihanna as a wonderful singer, but through our partnership at Fenty Beauty, I discovered a true entrepreneur, a real C.E.O. and a terrific leader,” Bernard Arnault, the chairman of LVMH, said in the statement.

Added Rihanna, “Designing a line like this with LVMH is an incredibly special moment for us. Mr. Arnault has given me a unique opportunity to develop a fashion house in the luxury sector, with no artistic limits. I couldn’t imagine a better partner both creatively and business-wise, and I’m ready for the world to see what we have built together.”

Taking to Twitter, Rihanna called the groundbreaking deal a “big day for the culture” and thanked Arnault for “believing in this little girl from the left side of an island, and for giving me the opportunity to grow with you at @LVMH.”

big day for the culture.
thank you Mr.Arnault for believing in this little girl from the left side of an island, and for giving me the opportunity to grow with you at @LVMH https://t.co/6ToY8MkDQB pic.twitter.com/Q9eF35576T

— Rihanna (@rihanna) May 10, 2019

The multi-hyphenate star is currently creative director of Puma, where she launched her activewear brand Fenty by Puma. She also has her own successful Fenty Beauty line, which reportedly made $100 million in sales in its first 40 days on the market, as well as a lingerie line, Savage X Fenty.

Rihanna will present her first Fenty collection in Paris on May 22.