She is one of the most talked about stars on the planet. But this week she nabbed attention not for a posed photo on Instagram or the never-ending Chris Brown-saga, but instead, Rihanna was the focus of many fashion journals and blogs. The starlet released a behind-the-scenes video featuring a new fashion line. Rihanna’s collaboration with British brand, River Island, will be presented at London Fashion Week in February.
The collection, available for purchase March 5, makes Rihanna one of the latest in a long line of singers-turned-designers. But not all those who have tried their hand at fashion design are privileged enough to show at Fashion Week. In fact, getting a timeslot for a show is a feat that even some well-known, respectable designers have not been able to accomplish. So, what does this say about the state of the fashion industry when Rihanna is showing in London and Kanye has collections in Paris?
Like anything else, there are pros and cons that come with celebrities playing fashion designer, but it can not be denied that the worlds of music and fashion have a long and elaborate history of influencing each other. The difference today is the amount of credibility that is being given to these insta-designers, but not all are created alike. We have socialites like Miley Cyrus who put out a collection for Wal-Mart. No one is going to think she is designing for the Lincoln Center spot come Feb. 7. Then consider people like Jennifer Lopez and Sean “Diddy” Combs who have had a significant amount of success and showed collections during NYFW. But are they design visionaries? No. They can be thought of more as business people with a good team behind them.
Finally, we are left with the few who have actually managed to be taken seriously. The best example of this is Victoria Beckham. As a fashion icon herself, Beckham was inspired by her own signature look, creating well-received collections and dressing stars like Blake Lively and Gwyneth Paltrow. One can only speculate where Rihanna will land after her first attempt at breaking into the design industry, because showing at Fashion Week is impressive, but does not guarantee success. The best example of this is the disaster that was Lindsay Lohan for Ungaro.
French design house Ungaro was hoping for a comeback, but became a laughing stock instead. The official website has no evidence that the collaboration with Lindsay Lohan ever happened, and Estrella Archs, designer for Ungaro at the time, stepped down from her position at the design house a matter of months after the debacle. However, that was Lindsay Lohan, so the probability that Rihanna will suffer the same fate is slim. After all, Rihanna is starting on the smaller side by opting to team with River Island, a label sold in stores only in the UK and through online retailers like ASOS. This should prove to be a smart choice as the singer won’t have the critical eyes of the most prominent editors and designers on her-they’ll be too busy reviewing what the real fashion heavy-hitters are putting on the runway.
So, is another celebrity fashion line going to shake up the industry? Doubtful. It will continue to be about the Lagerfelds, Philos and Jacobs of the world that will make an impact. But don’t tell the one celebrity that might actually be serious about this whole fashion thing: Kanye West.
Before premiering his first ready-to-wear collection during Spring 2012 Paris Fashion Week, the idea of Mr. West’s creations joining the ranks of Alexander McQueen and Givenchy was met with heavy skepticism and occasional laughter. But after the show, the idea of West as a designer was met with much less skepticism. Reviews were not impeccable, but everyone was expecting much worse to say the least. When his Fall 2012 collection was shown, again in Paris, criticism was better, but still no piece written was without mention of West as the rapper-turned-designer. No matter how much Kanye wants to be the creative genius to end all creative geniuses, he just isn’t going to be taken seriously by the fashion elite, or at least not yet.
There is no denying that fashion has a hand in shaping the rest of the entertainment world. With pairings like Tom Ford and Justin Timberlake, Mathew Williamson and Sienna Miller, and Alexander Wang and Azealia Banks, celebrities have proven to be go-to muses for designers as well. But when it comes to the entertainment industry and the runway, it just might be best to keep the stars in the front row.
