Rihanna Opens a New Front in the Lingerie Wars
This week, everyone will be talking about Rihanna's Savage X Fenty spectacle in New York and a hyper-politicised London Fashion Week. Read our BoF Professional Cheat Sheet.
THE CHEAT SHEET
Rihanna Goes For Maximum Impact With Savage X Fenty Show
Savage X Fenty is staging a show on Sept. 10 in Brooklyn, which will air on Amazon Video on Sept. 20
Rihanna’s brand is one of several challengers taking on Victoria’s Secret, where sales have slipped in recent years
Savage X Fenty recently raised $50 million from investors including Jay Z's fund and Avenir Growth Capital
A massive spectacle featuring celebrities galore and models in lingerie, recorded for global broadcast. Sound familiar? Rihanna is going straight for the jugular with her latest Savage X Fenty show, promising to lift the best elements of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show and layering on the inclusivity, body positivity and digital savvy that event has been lacking. This is no scrappy disruptor taking on Big Underwear. Savage X Fenty raised $50 million last month, and is part-owned by TechStyle Fashion Group, which built Kate Hudson’s Fabletics into a leggings empire, with $300 million in sales last year and plans for dozens of stores. Rihanna's brand is on a similar path, though it faces plenty of competition from body-positive start-ups like ThirdLove as well as American Eagle's Aerie (not to mention Victoria's Secret itself, which still sells billions of dollars of lingerie annually).
The Bottom Line: Savage X Fenty’s main advantage over its competitors - big and small - is Rihanna’s cultural clout, as demonstrated by the immense amount of media coverage her show earned last year, even as ratings for Victoria's Secret's show hit new lows. Adding Amazon to the mix will only amp up the hype.