Rihanna’s luxury fashion gamble has taken a stunning blow.
The superstar, known for her empire-spanning ventures in music, beauty, and lingerie, suffered a shocking $36 million loss from her Fenty clothing line, a collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
Launched with high hopes in 2019, the brand was forced to close shortly after amid pandemic challenges.
Despite the setback, Rihanna’s influence and success in the fashion and beauty world remain untouchable.
The world is in shock following reports that Rihanna suffered a massive $36 million loss from her Fenty fashion line.
Accounts for her British company Denim UK Holdings revealed the financial blow, marking one of the rare mistakes in the star’s otherwise successful career.
The pop icon partnered with Louis Vuitton’s parent company, LVMH, in 2019 to create Fenty, a luxury fashion house aimed at setting a new standard in style.
When it launched, Fenty was celebrated as a groundbreaking move.
The “Diamonds” star became the first Black woman to lead a major luxury fashion label under LVMH.
The French-based business was even registered as Project Loud France, a nod to her fifth studio album, “Loud.”
Despite the historic milestone, the brand’s success was short-lived.
The pandemic hit soon after launch, stopping production and making it impossible for the star to visit ateliers in Paris and Italian factories to check on designs herself.
At the time of launch, Rihanna invested roughly $34.8 million into the label through her company, Denim UK Holdings, while LVMH matched the amount.
She held a 49.99% stake in the business, an almost equal partnership that showed her deep commitment to making the brand work.
However, after just two years, both sides decided to shut down the label in 2021.
Per the Daily Mail, a joint statement from Rihanna and LVMH at the time explained, “LVMH and Rihanna reaffirm their ambition to concentrate on the growth and long-term development of the Fenty ecosystem, focusing on cosmetics, skincare, and lingerie.”
Part of the brand’s downfall came down to cost. Jackets cost nearly $1,000, and some dresses went for $810, which turned off many fans who loved Rihanna for her affordable makeup and lingerie lines.
Despite its failure, Fenty remains one of Rihanna’s boldest creative efforts.
In 2019, she described the mission behind her fashion house, saying, “Women are forces of this earth. We are multifaceted, complex, vulnerable yet bulletproof, and Fenty speaks to all of our intricacies.”
