Rihanna To Become Dior’s First Black Face
Following Dior’s confirmation that Barbadian superstar Rihanna had been chosen to front its fourth annual Secret Garden campaign, the 27-year-old singer described her role as the first black face of the French fashion label as a “big deal” for her culture.
While discussing her soon-to-be-released animated movie Home in an interview with MTV News, the multiple Grammy winner touched on the importance of her casting in Dior’s campaign, describing her latest role as “meaningful.”
“It feels fantastic,” she told MTV. “It is such a big deal for me, for my culture, for a lot of young girls of any colour.
“I think, to be acknowledged by Dior is just, it means a lot as a woman to feel beautiful, and elegant, and timeless.”
The haute couture label’s decision to cast the Diamonds girl as the newest face of its spring-inspired Secret Garden campaign was warmly greeted by the fashion industry and fans alike.
“#HistoRIH @rihanna is gonna be the first BLACK WOMAN to be the face of Dior!!!!!” one person tweeted.
“Huge news for @rihanna today: she’s the first black woman to be the face of Dior,” added another.
Dior’s announcement came just days after Rihanna was pictured filming in the breathtaking surroundings of the Palace of Versailles in Paris, where all of Dior’s Secret Garden campaigns have been shot.
Barbados’ pop princess was seen strolling through the Palace’s opulent rooms, clad in a sparkling sequin gown, during the late night shoot.
Within days, she was back at the Palace, posing in an elegant black gown in the estate’s carefully manicured grounds.
According to WWD.com, Dior stated that Rihanna is set to feature in the fourth instalment of the video and print series of the Secret Garden campaign, joining models such as Daria Strokus, Melissa Stasiuk and Xiao Wen Ju, all of whom have previously featured in the series.
The fashion label further stated that that film and print versions, shot by photographer Steven Klein, are scheduled to run this spring.
Rihanna joins award-winning actresses the likes of French beauty Marion Cotillard, Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence, and the Black Swan’s Natalie Portman, all of whom have starred in campaigns for Dior in the past.
The most recent instalment of the Secret Garden series debuted in May 2014 and has chalked-up more than nine million views on YouTube.
Rihanna has long been a big Dior fan and frequently features on the front row of the audience at the label’s Paris Fashion Week catwalk shows.
Her previous fashion experience includes modelling for the likes of Balmain and Armani, as well as appearing on numerous covers of top fashion magazine Vogue.
Leave a Reply