Good Girl Gone Mogul: A Guide to Rihanna's Growing Business Empire
Rihanna is making good on her promise to take over your empire. The multi-hyphenate (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty) launched the lingerie line, Savage X Fenty on Friday (May 11), which includes boudoir-ready corsets, underwear, and even handcuffs -- all with prices ranging from $14.50 to $109. But Rihanna's latest foray into fashion is hardly the first time she's flexed her entrepreneurial muscles. The "Bitch Better Have My Money" singer has been steadily growing her empire since she first stepped onto the music scene, from her Fenty Beauty cosmetics line to her collaborations with Puma. Here’s a roundup of all of Rihanna’s business-related endeavors:
Westbury Road Entertainment
A year before Rihanna released her infectious debut single, "Pon de Replay," through Def Jam in 2005, a company named Westbury Road Entertainment was registered through the New York State Division of Corporations. Westbury Road is the name of the street Rihanna grew up on in her native Barbados, and now it's the namesake of her record label. While the company seemingly laid dormant for years, the pop star released her 2016 album Anti on the imprint after acquiring the right to her previous album masters from Def Jam.
A Wide Range of Perfumes, from Reb'l Fleur to Kiss.
RiRi has also delved into the world of perfumery, beginning with the release of Reb’l Fleur in 2011. The name was inspired by a pet name she received from her grandmother. (The name also inspired one of her tattoos.) To date, the star has released at least one scent a year and now has a total of ten fragrances to her name. The most recent perfume, Kiss, was released in January 2017.
Styled to Rock
By 2013, the singer had proved she could pull off any outfit and hairstyle imaginable. That same year, the 25-year-old put aspiring designers to the test with Styled to Rock, a reality TV competition that she developed and executive-produced. The show, which had both U.S. and U.K. versions, challenged fashion designers to conceptualize looks for the star's famous friends, including Kylie Minogue and Khloé Kardashian. The U.S. iteration even featured Pharrell Williams as one of the celebrity mentors. While there were only two collective seasons of Styled to Rock, the show was further evidence of RiRi's indelible mark on the world of fashion.
Partial ownership of Tidal
In March 2015, JAY-Z announced that he had acquired the streaming service TIDAL with plans to rebrand it as an artist-owned platform. Months later, TIDAL unveiled a video featuring those artists tapped to participate, including Rihanna, Daft Punk, and Chris Martin of Coldplay. The star-studded clip explained the intentions of the then-new platform and touted it as uncharted territory. At present, Rihanna is still named as one of the artist-owners on TIDAL's website.
Fenty x Puma, among many fashion collaborations
The relationship between Rihanna and Puma dates back to 2014, when she took on a creative director role within the company. She began with designing her own sneakers; a couple of years later, Rihanna premiered a full clothing line, titled Fenty Puma by Rihanna, during New York Fashion Week. Their most recent collection is a line of surf-inspired apparel for Spring and Summer 2018. The Puma partnership is just one of Rihanna's many collaborations with major fashion companies (Armani, River Island, Dior and Stance socks among them).
Fenty Beauty
Rihanna was ready for her closeup when she became a CoverGirl spokeswoman early in her career. This past September, she debuted her own line of cosmetics: the immensely successful Fenty Beauty. At launches in New York and London, the Rihanna Navy excitedly lined up to sample and buy the new products. Available at Sephora, the makeup line has been praised for its diverse range of foundations, and many shades sold out instantly. Since then, the star has restocked -- and added makeup brushes, vibrant lip colors, and highlighters to Fenty Beauty's lineup.
Savage X Fenty
The star's latest offering dropped at midnight last Frida, after weeks of teasing on Instagram. The launch was preceded by a pop-up shop in Brooklyn on Thursday, where fans got an exclusive look at the line, which includes 90 pieces of lingerie and sleepwear from four separate collections. Demand has unsurprisingly been high: There was even a virtual line to access the online store shortly after it went live. Like Fenty Beauty, the lingerie line will offer inclusive options and a range of sizes for its customers. Ahead of the release, Rihanna told Vogue that "women should be wearing lingerie for their damn selves." She also added an empowering message about what she hopes to accomplish with the line. "I want people to wear Savage x Fenty and think, 'I’m a bad bitch.' I want women to own their beauty."