Can I start this article by saying that I absolutely feel sick to my stomach while writing this, but it has to be done. By no means is this a personal attack on Rihanna. I love her with all of my heart, but with the arrival of this season’s Savage X Fenty line, a question has been persistently bugging me… “How famous do you have to be before people stop criticizing your work?”
Whether it be out of fear that the Rih Navy will find my address and kill me for giving a contradictory opinion, or out of disappointment in myself for not loving every single thing my idol does, there is something to be said about the hestiance that I have when I dare to utter the words “this lingerie line is really not that good”.
Most of the articles that I’ve read about this past Savage x Fenty runway show have been praising the brands outward diversity, and that is more than great! Not only did Rihanna include different races, sizes, and genders, there were also multiple pregnant women featured in the show (congrats on your baby, Slick Woods!). Rihanna’s push towards diversity is yet another reason to love her. But where are the reviews about the actual lingerie and the showcasing itself? I’m no lingerie expert, but as a consumer, here are my reviews some of the looks in the show.
There’s a lot that I could say about this number. I think it’s the colors that turn me off the most. I can imagine this working well in darker, sleek colors, but the pale pink and red combo reminds me too much of an overly-thematic Valentines day costume.
She almost sold this look to me! I’m a sucker for earthy tones, and I loved the body chain paired with it. But dear god, why is the lace thong layered over a pair of thick cotton underwear?? The fact that they are the same exact color (minus the thick white strip) makes it clash even more. I cannot imagine this being a sexy look for anyone.
Okay this look is not that bad. But I want to take the time to emphasize what a big effect accessorizing has on an outfit. Without the sunglasses, this look gets a solid 8 from me. With a different pair of gloves that don’t resemble flesh colored panty hose, this score bumps up to a 9.
I’m sorry to be so blunt, but I hate this one. The colors do absolutely nothing to compliment the skin of the model. Her torso looks like a different color compared to the rest of her body. And the feathers are all over the place. I do not know what I am supposed to be paying attention to, but it’s definitely not the lingerie.
And finally we have this one. I like the red, it goes with the “savage” theme, but other than that I do not have much else to say. Again, I think the accessories work against the piece. The model’s confidence is the only thing that’s selling me right now.
I have to face the facts. These looks do absolutely nothing for me. As someone who believes that the female body is so easily seen as beautiful, I feel as thought these pieces work to do the exact opposite. Lingerie is supposed to be sexy, that’s its purpose right? I just don’t find this sexy. I started to think, well maybe “sexy” is not what she’s going for. Maybe when we see this we’re supposed to think “savage”… But what is savage about elbow length gloves? I’ve never seen Rihanna wear anything like this.
Unfortunately, I felt this same “underwhelmed” feeling when the last Savage x Fenty line was released. But hey, I’m not saying the line is doomed for failure (it is Rihanna of course). Maybe third time’s the charm?