Finally, underwear designed for men of all shapes. The new collection from the famous singer and plus-size models are a hit
When she's not singing and making music, she's definitely not slacking - that's exactly what can be said about Rihanna, who also does design and runs the fashion brand Fenty. She has already launched a sportswear collection under this brand, but has also expanded her interest into the beauty industry under the brands Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin. And since the singer clearly has a very wide range of interests, this is also reflected in her work. After introducing an inclusive lingerie collection for women of all sizes, she has done the same for men. The Savage X Fenty men's underwear includes silk boxer briefs and logo briefs, among others, all in sizes ranging from S to 3XL. This still wouldn't be all that surprising, however, if the underwear didn't also feature men who are actually XL sized.
The first men's body-diversity
Rihanna, or rather her Savage X Fenty brand, has been built from the start on the acceptance of difference and otherness - her models have been, for example, pregnant women, but also drag queens participating in the globally popular reality show RuPaul's Drag Race. So the fact that men's underwear is (finally) presented by men with different body types shouldn't be surprising. But the opposite is true - it's as if the singer has offered something truly unprecedented. And so it's clear that the internet simply loves the new men's underwear collection (and the models).
"It's great to see Rihanna bringing representation of plus size men to the modeling world," one enthusiastic customer tweeted. "I've never seen a male model who has a body like mine. And now I really feel touched. Like I can finally buy something I see and want and know it was made for people like me," another describes. And its author is actually very right .
Although in recent years some fashion brands have tried to cast more representative models on the catwalks and in promotional campaigns (not only those whose measurements are completely unattainable for the vast majority of the population), the same cannot be said about male models. Yet, as another Rihanna supporter wrote quite aptly on Twitter, the presentation of the current collection "proves that all other brands are discriminatory for absolutely no reason."
In fashion, physical differences - a few extra kilos - are simply not worn. So, although agency IMG caught the eye back in 2016 by opening a dedicated men's plus-size division called Brawn, according to reactions to the current presentation of lingerie from Rihanna's creative team, the diversity of the male body continues to receive inadequate media representation.
That Rihanna has truly succeeded in doing something unprecedented with the presentation of her men's fashion collection is evidenced by the fact that the plus-size models themselves are not hiding their excitement. "I never thought I'd show up shirtless for the first time for the Savage X Fenty brand. On the face of it, it was a win just for me, but it's actually a step forward for every man who has a few extra pounds, is always unbuttoning that bottom button and has to shop like crazy because the right sizes just aren't for him. But we're here, we're sexy and we're part of the new wave," Steven G, the "strongest" of Rihanna's models, wrote so on Instagram.
Diversity at every turn
It has to be said, however, that Rihanna has really gone all out with diversity. In fact, the launch of the men's collection was preceded by a fashion show that was streamed online, and not only did it feature men of all sizes, but all gender identities, sexualities, body sizes, different disabilities, and even ages were represented. The lingerie was then presented by, among others, 57-year-old actress Demi Moore, who also admitted that accepting her own body and showing it off to others was definitely not easy for her.
Rihanna's own brand Fenty, which was launched in 2017, then received viral attention precisely because its first advertising campaigns already featured differently shaped models (which was even taken into account in the case of the mannequins in the stores). Rihanna's brand Fenty Beauty, in turn, was praised for offering an inclusive selection of beauty products, and Fenty Skin even introduced a gender-neutral skincare line designed for everyone.
And so one can only wonder why the opportunity seized by Rihanna has been systematically avoided by many famous brands. After all, only a tiny fraction of the population has the much-hyped ideal body. In the end, however, it was these people who had to be given a voice in the fashion world by the Barbadian singer. But here, fortunately for all those whose insight does not match the universal idea, it can be heard loudly to the point of being overwhelming.
