Rihanna makes history by becoming first woman of colour to launch luxury brand with LVMH

Fenty will debut on 22 May in Paris

Rihanna has officially confirmed she is launching her own fashion label with LVMH, with the same name as her popular beauty line, Fenty.

The pop star announced she would be collaborating with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury group, on Friday, after months of speculation.

The new luxury line, which will be based in Paris, will be presented on 22 May and include ready-to-wear, shoes, and accessories.

Currently, there are no hints regarding what the collection will look like, however, the style icon is known for taking risks, from her own Met Gala outfits to her previous forays into the fashion industry as the designer of high-fashion streetwear.

With the launch of Fenty - the first new house created by the group since Christian Lacroix in 1987 - Rihanna will become the first woman to create an original brand at LVMH.

The singer will also be the first woman of colour at the top of an LVMH maison, according to The New York Times.

According to LVMH, Fenty will be “centred on Rihanna, developed by her, and takes shape with her vision in terms of ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories, including commerciality and communication of the brand”.

Rihanna announced the news on Instagram, captioning a screenshot of a NYT tweet about the partnership: “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.

“This is proof that nothing is impossible. Glory be to God.”

The brand already has a logo, which features “Fenty” written on a blue background with white writing and a backwards “N”, a website, and an Instagram account with more than 75,000 followers.

Of the partnership with the Fenty Beauty makeup mogul and pop star, Bernard Arnault, the chairman of LVMH said in a statement: “Everybody knows Rihanna as a wonderful singer, but through our partnership at Fenty Beauty, I discovered a true entrepreneur, a real CEO and a terrific leader.

“She naturally finds her full place within LVMH.”

On social media, the announcement has been met with excitement from fans of the 31-year-old.

“This is so iconic! Congrats legend,” one person commented.

Another person tweeted: “This is history in the making. Wow. Just wow. HUGE day for the culture.”

LVMH owns brands like Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Givenchy and Celine.

Rihanna first launched the streetwear brand Fenty in 2016 with Puma, and has since expanded the line into lingerie with the body-positive Savage x Fenty.