Rihanna is teaming up with luxury fashion conglomerate LVMH to create her own luxury fashion line. This is the first time the luxury group has featured a line from a black female designer and the first time it has launched a new brand since Christian Lacroix, in 1987. We explore the insights behind how LVMH's efforts represent an attempt to reach a younger, more socially conscious generation of luxury consumer.
Rihanna will launch a luxury fashion brand under her own mononym with the world's biggest luxury fashion group, LVMH. Rihanna will be the first female designer of colour the luxury group has worked with, and would be the first brand to be built from scratch by LVMH's CEO Bernard Arnault since 1987, when Christian Lacroix was launched. Despite no formal training in fashion design, Rihanna's star within the industry is rising; she has already launched a range with sportswear brand Puma, Fenty x Puma, and has created cosmetic range Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, which boats 6.4 million followers on Instagram. She's also collaborated on a lingerie range for good measure, Savage x Fenty, which received praise for its inclusive approach to underwear design.
Rihanna's fans are already expecting the new brand with open arms. This is a boon for LVMH, as they represent an emerging generation of luxury consumer who is value-led in their purchasing behaviours. What's more, research into Rihanna’s fanbase shows they've got money, too. Around a quarter of fans aged 35 and above – from a large sample of 32,000 people – take home $100,000 or more. In truth, Rihanna's cultural cachet means her co-signing would be a coup for any major brand, especially as younger consumers crave authenticity from not just the brands they buy into, but the people they collaborate with, too. Black Americans – who comprise a large party of Rihanna's fanbase – cherish this authenticity especially, as these things can be representative of their cultural identity.
Abi Buller is an editorial assistant at Canvas8, the leading behavioural insights practice. Abi is a London-based graduate from London College of Fashion (UAL). With a background in creative direction for fashion, her research and creative projects focus on experiential retail, new technologies and trend forecasting.
