FEMFiles: Rihanna
Photo by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue, 2013
I’ve been a fan of BadGalRiRi for years - starting with her music. But the more time goes by, the more she shows her multidimensionality, her drive, her focus, and her prowess as one of the most successful entertainers in modern times. Rihanna, however, isn’t just an entertainer. She’s a business woman, and a builder of empires. That, my friends, is what I’m talking about.
At the time I originally wrote this article, Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty) at 31 years old had built an empire estimated to be around 600 Million dollars. Today, she has become America’s youngest self made billionaire, and is now estimated to have a net worth of 1.4 billion. Featured in Forbes magazine for not only being an incredible entrepreneur, but also the wealthiest female musician in the world (yes, you read that right - not Beyoncé, not Madonna, not Celine Dion, but Rihanna). Rihanna took her song “Work” to heart, and has consistently put out award winning songs and records. She took this success one step further, however, by partnering with luxury powerhouse LVMH to create her beauty line, Fenty Beauty. Within the first few weeks, it reportedly sold over $100mm USD. (Note: Black owned business, inclusivity in its product line from the start, and quality products - what’s not to love?). She also created her own lingerie line Savage X Fenty with LA based TechStyle Fashion Group. You can watch a fabulous Amazon documentary about her concept behind the line, and how it’s meant to empower women of all shapes and sizes - not just the bodies magazines tell us are ‘lingerie worthy.’
All of that is easily an impressive read, but what really inspires me is a combination of factors - for one, she’s dedicated and does not stop. Clearly, Rihanna wants to continuously create - in the sound room, on stage, and behind the scenes in her companies. Her dedication is admirable, and when you add the principles of inclusivity, quality and attention to detail that all play a role in each of her endeavors, you admire her even more. Her recent appearance as the half time entertainer for the Super Bowl was more than a performance - it was a carefully orchestrated tapestry of purpose: announcing a pregnancy, promoting her brands, and making sure everyone knew that what she brings to the table is herself (read: no need to bring in extra performers or change into 5 (revealing) outfits).
We need women who continuously rise to the challenge, exemplify what they are capable of, and serve as a beacon of hope, inspiration and as a model for other women. Rihanna has also dealt with the public abuse of ex-boyfriend Chris Brown (and the abuse and alcoholism of her father) with dignity and grace and it has not defined her life. I can’t speak to how it has affected her obviously, but many women face horrid situations like this and I can only hope that seeing other women experience it, survive and thrive is yet another way in which she can serve to inspire others.
Rihanna is beautiful and talented (she could have stopped there), but she didn’t. And thank RiRi for that - she’s an incredible business woman who rocks it time after time. I want to also point out that Black owned businesses, and even more so Black female owned businesses, simply do not get the support, funding, and recognition that they deserve - this is one case that turns that it on its head. Hopefully she will serve not only as an inspiration and role model, but as a source of support for others wanting to follow in her footsteps.
Image by DON ARNOLD/WIREIMAGE/GETTY via TeenVogue
(cover Image via Forbes)