But first the bad news. Miss Cee can take or leave the Fenty clothing line. The Fenty jewelry line, however, is as big, bold, brassy, ballsy and blingy as Rihanna herownself.
Rihanna partnered with LVMH
Ever since Robyn Fenty got out her umbrella-ella-ella, Yours Truly has been a die-hard fan. And if you’ve NOT been living under a rock and/or had your internetta-etta-etta disconnected, you’ll know by now that Ri-Ri, in conjunction with LVMH, released a line of both beauty products and fashion under the Fenty label.
Fenty Beauty, trading commendably on inclusivity, launched with a range of makeup concealers in forty shades in 2017. The prices were reasonable, and therefore also inclusive.
In 2018, according to the fount-of-all-knowledge-any-damn-fool-can-edit (Wikipedia, if you’re not keeping up) Fenty Beauty did an astounding $570 million in revenue.
So why they’ve also produced a line of clothing and accessories under the ‘House of Fenty’ label is UTTERLY bewildering.
Fenty fashion isn’t quite there yet…
Now git out yer crayons and write this skoolin’ down, kids. Miss Cee’s hard and fast rule about artwork is, NEVER buy a painting that looks like you could have slapped it out yourownself. And the same applies to fashion. Spesh if it also costs hundreds of dollars. And is a t-shirt.
And yes, Fenty’s parent company, LVMH, has to keep up appearances and can’t be thrifting with price. But HONESTLY.
To make matters worse, the nimble fingers at the House of Fenty fashion must not have got the Fenty Beauty memo about inclusivity. Because not only is their fashion pricing prohibitive, but the website also forgets inclusivity is as much about body size and shape as ethnicity and skin tone.
Appaz this current Fenty clothing and jewelry collection embraces the ‘joy of dressing in haste’. Not sure about you poppets, but Miss Cee is trying to recall ever NOT dressing in haste. And haste is the very opposite of joyful.
Fenty Fashion offerings
Fenty jewelry is big, boisterous bling
Praise the lordy lord, there IS one bright note for Yours Truly on the Fenty fashion online store though.
The jewelry.
While the prices for their costume jewelry are similarly off-the-charts for a fashion house whose artistic director isn’t a bona fide designer, fortunately for Fenty, if you wave something shiny in front of one Cee-Cee Quin, price be damned.
Fenty costume jewelry earrings
Get in line, chickadees, Miss Cee saw those oversized, square-Swarovski-crystal-embellished offerings to the Goddess of Bling first. While understated jewelry has its time and place, at other times, in other places, you just want to project an I’ve-got-the-biggest-earrings-in-the-room-so-don’t-eff-with-me-vibe.
And bet you thought those Swarovski crystal earrings in gold-tone where just yer run o’ the mill spirals.
Nup.
As the side view shows, the shape, based on the curves of a shell, allows the earrings to sit behind the earlobe AND project out from it. Note to self: remove if in any danger of actually doing sports or picking up a child.
Jeweled Hat. Oh yass
The jeweled hat Miss Cee was born to wear. BORN to wear. The chain, in various sizes of crystal, is detachable and modular. So you can wear the chain as a necklace, as a necklace attached to the hat, or just hanging from the hat as shown. Nix any earrings with this divine piece though.
Mercifully, hat instructions ARE included. And that means the only possible drawback is this headwear will choke the life right out of you if’n you inadvertantly stumble into a tornado.
Fenty jewelry cameo brooch
The still-very-much-with-us Grandma Quin is a fan of cameo brooches. And Miss Cee confesses to lusting after them in the past and wishing they would come back as a jewelry option. So, POOF! Wish granted.
The jaunty offset of the marquis-shaped Swarovski crystals updates the concept beautifully, as does the queenly pose of the brooch’s subject in transparent resin.
Fenty Sunglasses
Inspired by ear cuff jewelry, these Fenty butterfly sunglasses in silver tone metal and Swarovski crystals are worn to best effect if you have short hair. And successfully getting more bling where you might not expect it ALWAYS gets the Miss Cee Seal of Approval.
- Where to Wear and NOT Wear Sequins
- How to Wear Sequins – AND How to Break the Rules
- Make a No-Sew Sequin Dress
Virtual-try-on these glasses today with your phone through the Fenty website, just in case you’re somehow unsure if more bling will look amazeballs on you or not.
Conclusion
Fenty COULD stick to makeup. And possibly a side line of jewelry, shoes and bags. But they’re full-steam-ahead on the ever-exhausting full-fledged fashion house merry-go-round.
The current collection plays with shape and form in interesting ways, especially with their oversized costume jewelry peices. And they ARE just staring out. Whether they can produce fashion that makes that hauty world sit up and take notice is yet to be seen.
But they’ve got the success of Fenty Beauty, and the VERY deep pockets of LVMH to back them while they give it a shot.
Just maybe, then, Fenty also doing fashion is NOT as utterly bewildering as Miss Cee first thought.
