May 5: Rihanna wears ripped light-wash jeans, a layered lace cami, and a bubblegum pink jacquard Marc Jacobs coat. September 15: Rihanna sports a striped dress shirt repurposed into an off-the-shoulder top. February 12: Rihanna graces the Grammy’s carpet in a creamsicle orange top paired with a billowing black skirt. Google “Rihanna + your birthday” and get your very own Rihanna outfit. 

The Rihanna birthday outfit trend made rounds on the web as people enthusiastically reposted the outfits they got onto their social media stories and feeds. Love for Rihanna seems to multiply each year, and the birthday outfit trend reinforced appreciation for her unique, daring style choices. 

Miss Rihanna solidified her status as an undisputed fashion icon long ago when she graced the 2014 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Awards in a sheer gown covered in Swarovski crystals. The daring see-through material provoked subtle criticism from conservative press members, to which Rihanna pointedly responded, “Do my tits bother you? They’re covered in Swarovski crystals, girl!” A legendary comeback. 

Since then, Rihanna’s red carpet appearances consistently became highly anticipated, especially every first Sunday of May. The time she stepped onto the Met Gala carpet in an extravagant, long, yellow fur-trimmed cape will probably flash by in that life montage you have just before death. She attended last year’s event dressed as the Pope no less, and it’s safe to say that the Met Gala hosts many of Rihanna’s history-making looks. 

In 2016, Rihanna launched her major clothing collection, Fenty x Puma. The collaboration met monumental success evident by the increase in Puma’s profits. The Fenty x Puma creeper was even dubbed shoe of the year by Footwear News. However, the Fenty x Puma line became more than just celebrity endorsement of a collection of products. The collaborative effort showcased Rihanna’s talents as an innovative fashion mastermind and businesswoman. 

Last year, Rihanna shook the entire beauty world with the release of Fenty Beauty, a makeup line unabashedly dedicated to embracing diversity. Rihanna revolutionized the way we think about inclusivity in the cosmetic world. Her video campaigns featured racially diverse models, and the forty-shade foundation range became a highlight of the launch. Tarte’s fifteen-shade Shape Tape foundation launch? We don’t know her! 

Rihanna’s most recent business effort (that we know of) takes form in Savage x Fenty, a lingerie line that incorporates both the sassy, electric theme of Fenty x Puma and the celebration of diversity seen in Fenty Beauty. Body positivity centers the brand, and models of all skin colors and body types walked the Savage x Fenty runway last September. The show, raw and intimate, differentiated itself from the ostentatious, glitzy Victoria’s Secret show featuring thin, toned bodies. 

The singer is reportedly starting her own luxury brand with LVMH, and after recently sporting a pair of sunglasses with the Fenty logo, production seems like a strong possibility. A luxury brand that regularly celebrates all body sizes and all skin colors is sure to empty my bank account. 

Beyond just selling clothes, Rihanna pushed the boundaries of fashion and beauty to include women of all sizes and colors, which is, to say the least, refreshing. Such forward-thinking, though long overdue, celebrates the beauty in diversity and is exactly what we need in fashion.

This piece appears in the Your Magazine May 2019 Print Issue.