Fenty will be taking a backseat to Fenty X Savage
The pop artist turned fashion mogul Rihanna announced her upcoming ventures that will focus more on expanding Savage X Fenty and spending less time on the recently developed Fenty brand. Rihanna launched the high-end Fenty collection in collaboration with LVMH in 2019 but both parties mutually agree they will be putting the ready-to-wear (RTW) venture on hold for now.
Rihanna’s brief foray into luxury fashion with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has come to a halt. https://t.co/a7jvlLHuuP
— WWD (@wwd) February 10, 2021
Rihanna and LMVH made an agreement to pause RTW activity, based in Europe, pending better conditions according to a statement from LVMH. Fenty was the first brand launched by LVMH since Christian Lacroix in 1987 and the only LVMH property led by a Black woman.
Despite having a successful launch with many celebrity admirers as well as pop-up events at Bergdorf Goodman and Selfridges, sales were less than successful for LVMH. It’s unclear when the project will resurface but a hiatus is never a good sign in the fashion industry that is seen as a gentle way of indicating the business is shutting down for good.
Rihanna is stopping her Fenty fashion line with LVMH, focusing her business on her more successful cosmetics, skincare, and lingerie lines https://t.co/RsmG0UL7WR
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) February 10, 2021
Despite the uncertain future of the Fenty brand, LVMH will still be business partners with Rihanna with the Fenty X Savage brand. Savage X Fenty will be receiving an investment of $115 million from L Catterton, a firm co-founded by LVMH and the chief executive Bernard Arnault’s Groupe Arnault.
A press release discloses this investment will help support the existing business along with helping to plan for retail expansion. The Savage X Fenty business has thrived through the wear for home (WFH) movement with more people wearing more casual clothes while working from home-buying more loungewear and matching intimates.
Lingerie has proven to a strong retail category despite certain retail businesses seeing a loss in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retail loungewear and businesses also provide a unique niche product that everyone needs and wears frequently compared to other brands.
Savage X Fenty also offers a versatile all gender and sizes inclusive collection that makes them unique compared to big competitors. LVMH also owns Fenty Skin and Fenty Beauty that is operated by Rihanna.
