The fashion world has always been a magnet for music artists: fashion allows them to build their image, and when the love is reciprocal it makes them powerful. Therefore it is no news to see music artists stepping out their comfort zone and venturing new professions, especially when they are household names: they design and sell us perfumes, shoes, make up products…basically they influence our shopping habits thanks to their names. And that’s the point: they do not need to actually learn a new profession, because their names are big enough to validate anything they advertise.
What happens when they actually make the next step?
Well, the current New York Fashion Week has served a major couple of experiments: Kanye West sponsored by Adidas and Rihanna sponsored by Puma.
Ok, this is like the ultimate athleisure/urban fight.
It should be an unfair comparison given that this was Kanye 3rd collection with Adidas (‘s money) and Rihanna was just debuting her first real runway show…but at the end it was not.
Let me explain this to you: Kanye West ultimately ended up revolutioning the NYFW show schedule for an album launch party in disguise, while Rihanna actually performed an interesting runway show.
Kanye’s Yeezy Season 3 collection was a total mess: aside being a replica of the first two collections, just with better shoes and in brighter colors, the models and the venue only served as the perfect setting for an album listening party. How clever, and I mean it both sarcastically and not.
The funniest part was served by the first family of trash tv, alias the Kardashian/Jenner clan, who made a dramatic entrance to the show wearing luxurious custom pieces designed by Balmain for Kanye’s show.
So much noise for the new album T.L.O.P. (The Life Of Pablo)? Genius (even Beyoncè used the Superbowl to advertise her upcoming Formation World Tour), but was it necessary to introduce the world to this kind of "fashion"designs for the third time in a row?
Puma must be so proud of its strategy, not only Riri built off the success of last season’s flatform creeper, but she managed to bring Puma to NYFW with a collection that has made headlines all over the world.
The goth/grungy athmosphere of the Fenty x Puma runway show was the perfect background for a collection that definitely oozed Rihanna-inspired edginess all the way out.
Sporting jet black lips, the models walked down the mirrored runway wearing oversized hoodies, lace-up jumpsuits and dresses, sheer mesh tees and almost too daring crop tops and shorts.
Street style fashion with a gothic touch.
Street style fashion with a gothic touch.
Yep that is 2016’s Rihanna.
The shoe department included thigh-high boxing boots, extreme creepers, wedged booties and sporty stiletto boots.
Clearly that’s how Rihanna's dream closet looks like, however I do feel skeptic about the proportions and the wearability of some looks: maybe too much for real life?
Well, maybe it is to early to say, let the sales talk by themselves, besides I guess I have found my uniform for the ANTI World Tour.
Written by: Stella
