Rihanna feels the pressure "every single second" to ensure her new luxury fashion label is a success because she recognises the cultural significance of the opportunity.
The Bajan beauty recently made history as she became the first woman and first person of colour to launch her own major Parisian fashion house, called Fenty Maison, in collaboration with designers at top French conglomerate Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), and she celebrated its launch with a party in Paris on Wednesday night (22May19).
Among the guests checking out her debut designs were Balmain's creative director Olivier Rousteing and Dior's Maria Grazia Chiuri, and although Rihanna appeared calm and collected at the event, she admits she was a ball of nerves on the inside.
"It's all a facade...," the singer smiled to The Associated Press.
"I'm passionate about what I do, so there's pressure every single second," she shared. "It's not like crumbling pressure, but it's like: 'You better get it good, girl.'"
The 31 year old knows how big of a step Fenty Maison is in her career to date, and understands why all eyes are on her as she continues to establish herself as a business mogul, following her hugely popular Fenty Beauty collection in 2017.
"This is a moment in history...," Rihanna said. "It's a big deal for me and my entire generation."
And Rihanna's eye for style is what led LVMH executives to partner with the superstar and grant her total creative freedom.
"Calling it an experiment is a little reductive, given the ambition we have for the project," LVMH's head of communication, Antoine Arnault, told The Associated Press.
"There are lots of firsts: It's the first time we, in fashion, are collaborating so frankly with a pop star. But she's so much more than that. She's someone who has a bird's eye view on fashion and pop culture, who is at the same time obsessed with details."
The ready-to-wear Fenty Maison pieces will go on sale at a pop-up store in Paris from Friday (24May19), and will debut online on 29 May.
