Rihanna has got to be one of the most aspirational inspirational people on the planet, right? Not only is she gorgeous, but she’s also a remarkable singer, effortlessly cool, very funny (judging by her Instagram captions) and, most importantly, she can smoke weed without spiralling into a prangy, sickly state of depression.
Add to that a brilliant, sparkly, gorgeous beauty line (Fenty Beauty), which is fully inclusive not only in actuality but in the way it’s promoted too, and a fabulous, edgy, sexy lingerie line: Savage X Fenty. Rihanna is not only living a life that exists on an elevated plain, she is helping us to too.
Paloma Elsesser onstage during Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2.
Volume 1 of the Savage X Fenty line almost broke the internet with the amount of attention and gossip it inspired. The 2019 show featured various celebrity cameos, incredible, brave and ambitious choreography, and remarkably gorgeous underwear on a diverse, but reliably beautiful, range of models. The first show celebrated individuality, creativity, autonomy and self-expression. And the latest Fenty installation is no different.
Where to watch Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2
Before I get into the details of the show (and part 17 of me fangirling of Rihanna), I should point out that the show is available to be streamed now on Amazon Prime. I know that Amazon is the evil billionaire conglomerate we are all trying to avoid, but you could just find someone else who already has an account and get their log on deets, then you can bear witness to the joyous extravaganza that is the Fenty show volume 2.
Rosalia performs onstage during Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2.
Besides a smorgasbord of generically beautiful, diverse, varied, gorgeous women who are graceful and edgy and completely engaging, the show also hosts familiar faces such as Lizzo, Bella Hadid, Paris Hilton and Demi Moore. The only common denominator between all the women is the fact that they are breathtaking, otherwise, we are seeing almost every body type and various skin colours on the runway. It goes without saying that this is a hugely important statement in terms of encouraging body positivity and inclusivity. Rihanna is using her platform to do wonderful things.
Since the full-length film of the show dropped, the internet has been blowing up. Rihanna managed to pull off a show that would have been breathtaking pre-covid. But in the current climate, it’s even more impressive. The neon, sexy vibes are a total mood, but the part that is most interesting, exciting and encouraging is, as ever, the body-positive inclusivity.
So often, then we think about beauty standards, we are thinking about women. Women’s bodies, women’s skin, women’s faces, women’s hair but what is remarkable about this collection is Rihanna’s use of male bodies to broaden the discourse around masculine beauty standards. She is working hard to cancel them. Twitter, the barometer for up to the minute pop culture commentary, demonstrates the massive impact that showing us diverse body types can have.
The man and the body image that has perhaps sparked the most praise and commentary from the show is Steven G:
Steven G.
A body that really, is remarkable only because he is such a hottie. Not because his body is particularly unusual, except that, of course, it is unusual to see a bigger man modelling a product.
So, although Rihanna’s most recent show was an amazing spectacle and although it is bright and gorgeous and exciting, really what’s most fabulous about it is its normality: she shows us ‘us’.
By putting bigger bodies, black bodies, diverse bodies front and centre, Rihanna shines a light on real beauty. She is responsible for creating a completely different world for young people to grow in: representation matters hugely, and that is why Rihanna’s Fenty show is incredible.
