Let’s get one thing straight—Rihanna is more than a pop icon. “I have long-term goals in fashion, but not so much with any one brand. You just never know what’s going to happen,” said the superstar during her in-depth talk with Vogue’s Hamish Bowles at the Forces of Fashion conference. Rihanna’s dedication shows; with Fenty x Puma, Fenty Beauty and collaborations with Manolo Blahnik, Stance, and Christian Dior, she’s built a fashion empire that extends far beyond merch. As a businesswoman, she’s proved herself capable of being on the pulse of what consumers want and willing to take creative risks others might shy away from. At today’s panel, the bad gal explained the history of her relationship with the industry and why she’s only just getting started. “I enjoy fashion that’s the thrill and the challenge,” she shared with Bowles. “You can only keep growing and evolving [with each collection] I take it seriously, I have a lot of respect for this industry.” Here, the best takeaways from the animated discussion, with tackled everything from how she finds the best new designers to why Fenty Beauty’s global launch changed the beauty game.
