As girls, we are conditioned to enjoy things quietly—music, makeup, our bodies. We’ve all been there, in the dressing room, trying on clothes that are skin-tight, low-cut, high-hemmed. We do a little twirl, get into the groove, strain our necks to see how good our assets look in the material. We strut as much as the cramped space allows, glance over our shoulders as if caught by the paparazzi. It’s for no one but ourselves, making sure we not only look good but feel good, making sure that skirt is “twerkable,” before we buy it. Rihanna takes that energy of caring about no one but our own opinion in private and urges us, as girls, to carry that out of the dressing room and into life.
From the first hypnotic beat of a remixed version of Rihanna’s song Woo and the dramatic lighting revealing the designer among other models on platforms, it would be a disservice to call this a runway show. The minimal, yet monumentally Roman in its grandeur set, created by Willo Perron, is anything but a simple runway.
And the models, while they do sashay across the stage occasionally, the show is more filled with hard hitting, dynamic, passionate dance choreography by the wildly talented Paris Goebel. The models squat, hit the splits, vogue and twerk in the fun, delicately beautiful, thoughtfully designed, and intensely colorful lingerie as any one of us would when trying it on in a dressing room. Only this time, it’s being broadcasted to millions both in the audience and as it’s available on Amazon Prime.
The show plays out though as if the audience is a mirror and not even there. Women buying lingerie are always asked who they are buying it for; in this show, Rihanna champions the conviction that it’s for ourselves first and foremost. Everyone else comes after, if at all.
While the set and choreography already go beyond the confines of a runway show, Rihanna also employs the help of some friends in the music industry. Big Sean, Tierra Whack, Halsey, the Migos and DJ Khaled are among some of the stars on this concert setlist, offering thrilling performances to transition the show from one part to the next. It’s almost like having your bad bitch playlist live with you in the dressing room.
The stardom doesn’t stop there. Classic industry favorites like Bella and Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevingne and Slick Woods walked and danced among other brilliantly notable names such as Laverne Cox, Normani, Joan Smalls, Aquaria, Alek Wek, Paloma Elsesser, Lauren Wasser and Jillian Mercado. This colorful cast of people just goes to show again why Rihanna is a leader in tackling diversity with authenticity. She doesn’t target one minority at a time, hyping up her altruism for press until the buzz fades and they are placed on the backburner next season. She includes everybody at once at all times. No fluff, no excuse, no explanation needed.
I had the privilege of watching the show from the comfort of a poorly upholstered dorm couch with my two friends and I still felt included. We all did. As the credits rolled, we all sat there in stunned silence, coming back to reality, but you could tell something in the air shifted. Finally, one friend spoke, voice a dazed whisper, “I feel like I need to do something with all this energy.”
The other replies, “Yeah, I feel like I could go snag a man… or fight one.”
We all looked at each other and nodded without much debate that the latter seemed more appealing.
“Yeah! I’ll fight a man right now,” she continued, as all 4’ 11” of her jumped from the couch and shadow boxed the air.
We all broke down laughing, not from how ridiculous we felt, but how ridiculous the notion of not having this confidence now seemed. We can dance, strut, twerk, simply exist without apology in public, on a stage, for everyone to see. Rihanna encourages us to maintain our confidence outside of the dressing room where it matters most.
The full collection is now available on the Savage X Fenty website.
Words by Ka’Dia Dahtnubia
Visual by Kat Sours