Decoded: Rihanna’s Brand is Definitely Not ‘Anti’ Profitability

RIH RIH RIVER ISLAND

Rihanna unveiled her debut collection with retailer River Island in March 2013, using supermodels Jourdan Dunn, Charlotte Free, Tao Okamoto, Ataui Deng and Bambi Northwood Blyth to showcase the fashions, which featured t-shirts, navy boiler suits, striped mini skirts and varsity jackets.

Sales reportedly saw a boost for the British brand, with growth to £839 million (more than $1.3 billion) in 2013, which saw the retailer collaborating with Rihanna for the Rihanna for River Island collection. Ben Lewis, CEO of River Island, told the Telegraph in a 2014 interview that there is “a lot of [overseas] support” for British designers, and collaborating with Rihanna helped to boost sales for River Island in 2013. “It is a particular type of fashion,” Lewis said. “It is edgy, it is flirtatious, it is fun, it is eclectic, and it is not formulaic. It plays on the creativity that Britain has, we are not scared of breaking boundaries.”