Fenty Fabulous or Fenty Fail?
Rua Dinm
Co-Editor in Chief
Savage X Fenty has put Victoria’s Secret to shame. Fenty Beauty’s revolutionary debut of 40 foundation shades has forced brands to include different shades in their product lines to compete in the same market. Fenty Skin had every person run towards the new “Fat Water” toner. It seemed like everything Fenty did was the new blueprint for the fashion and makeup industry, thanks to Rihanna’s touch. Or so we thought.
Recently, LMVH and Rihanna decided to shut down Fenty Fashion. The news came as a shock to everyone. After two years, the brand will stop future production to better the “Fenty Ecosystem.” What does that mean? And why does the multi-talented icon need to shut down her fashion brand? The answer lies in how LMVH handled Fenty as the COVID-19 pandemic sheds light on all the flaws and faults in our daily living. Ms. Rona has not gone easy on the fashion industry, especially on the industry’s luxury side.
For the longest time, the due changes in the fashion industry have been analyzed by scholars and leaders in the industry alike. However, executions and initiatives are taken at minuscule levels. Whether the issues include labor rights, sustainability, distribution, or inventory, the fashion industry moves slowly unless it comes to fast fashion. LMVH made the same mistakes as they do with the rest of their luxury brands, but a newer brand like Fenty could not endure what Louis Vuitton or Dior can. These brands have already created a reputation, where despite their practices, people are happy to buy their thousand-dollar purses. Fenty was not there yet.
Rihanna is a fashion icon, and there is no denying it. However, from the start of her franchise, it was clear who was the intended demographic was—her fans. More specifically, her diverse array of fans. Savage X Fenty to Fenty Beauty, Rihanna made sure to deliver the product to everyone by having diverse models on her fashion show, inclusive lingerie sizes, and a large shade range of beauty products. Fenty Fashion did not have any disruptive quality. It did not take the luxury industry up in a storm how the other contributors of Fenty Franchise did. Even Rihanna herself voiced concerns about the price tags attached to the pieces. Despite it all, LMVH handled Fenty luxury fashion like all other luxury brands. And the struggles of stuffed inventories and reluctance to reduce prices despite low sales continued, ultimately failing Fenty Fashion.
Perhaps this is a warning sign for luxury brands to better their efforts and not fall back on their reputations’ safety. Designer brands need to change their marketing strategies and make them progressive. In a world where consumers blindly follow influencers, why are luxury brands not taking advantage of influencer marketing? They have the resources to do so. Between 2019 and 2020, LMVH had a revenue decrease of 21%. The corporation had a chance to do things differently with Fenty, but they failed to do so. Only everyone hopes that Fenty Fashion comes back with better marketing, price, and accessibility strategies.
Contact Rua at rua.dinm@student.shu.edu