Rihanna created an empire with her fashion and cosmetic brand Fenty, but she announced that she is stepping down from as C.E.O for the Savage x Fenty lingerie brand. Fenty, though best known for Fenty Beauty, which includes a diverse line of makeup, has many different branches. Fenty Beauty was the first line Rihanna created in 2017, and she followed it up with the Savage x Fenty lingerie line in 2018. In 2019, the Fenty fashion line was released, and Fenty Skin was launched in 2020 to incorporate the rise of the popularity of skincare.

Rihanna is the founder, majority owner, and C.E.O of these Fenty launches, she recently announced that she made the decision to appoint a new C.

E.O. for Savage x Fenty. Fans were shocked at the decision considering how successful the brand has been since its creation and Rihanna's dedication to having diversity in products.

Why Did Rihanna Create Fenty Beauty?

Celebrity skincare and makeup brands are not a new concept. Many celebrities have jumped into the cosmetic world to give their interpretation of beauty products. Kylie Jenner found great success with her makeup line, specifically her lips products. Singer Selena Gomez has used her beauty brand Rare Beauty to change to conversation about self-love.

When Rihanna joined the game with Fenty Beauty in 2017, however, the cosmetic world was not overrun by celebrities as it is today.

She was one of the first stars to throw her hat into the ring, and it has certainly paid off.

Rihanna's first and foremost reason for creating Fenty Beauty was to include more diversity in cosmetics. Before Fenty Beauty, many makeup brands were not selling a wide range of shades of foundations or concealers. Instead, they were only releasing one or two shades for those with darker skin.

Rihanna wanted everyone to be able to find their perfect match foundation on a shelf, and she did just that.

Following its launch, Fenty Beauty was named one of the 25 best inventions of 2017 by Time Magazine.

In what has been dubbed the "Fenty Effect," cosmetic brands began incorporating more shade ranges in their foundations, concealers, blushes, and so on. Many people consider Rihanna to be the starting point of diversifying the cosmetic industry.

Rihanna Became A Billionaire With Fenty

Not surprisingly, Fenty Beauty was a huge success. Rihanna was praised for her inclusivity and diverse-focused approach to cosmetics. She truly created a new standard in the beauty industry, and she was certainly compensated for her work.

Rihanna did not want to stop with simply makeup products, though.

In 2018, Rihanna launched the Savage x Fenty lingerie line. The message behind Savage x Fenty and Fenty Beauty were the same. RIhanna wanted to create an inclusive lingerie line that could fit any body type, and she accomplished that feat by releasing a wide range of sizes for each product.

The singer and businesswoman did not stop at lingerie. A Fenty fashion line was released in 2019 with the same intentions as Savage x Fenty.

Returning to cosmetics, Rihanna launched Fenty Skin in 2020. The line of skincare products paired well with her well-established brand Fenty Beauty, and many products have gone viral on social media.

With the success of all the Fenty lines and brands, Rihanna finally became a billionaire in 2021. Though she became the richest female musician in the world, her claim to the billionaire status had everything to do with Fenty.

Forbes estimated that $1.4 billion of her $1.7 billion net worth came from the Fenty lines, specifically Fenty Beauty. The second-largest portion of her net worth came from the lingerie line Savage x Fenty.

Considering that in its first year alone Fenty Beauty brought in $550 million, beating out many other celebrity brands including Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, the only surprising factor of Rihanna's billionaire status is how long it took her to get there.

Rihanna Steps Down As C.E.O. Of Savage X Fenty

Considering how successful Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty have been since their launches, fans assumed Rihanna would never want to take a step back from the companies. The singer has not only found monetary success with Fenty, but she has also found critical success as a businesswoman and a cosmetic creator.

When the news dropped in late June 2023 that Rihanna would be stepping down as C.E.O. of Savage x Fenty, fans were completely shocked.

The lingerie line was Rihanna's first step into creating fashion, and many considered the company to be very personal to the singer.

The news of a power change at the company was not foreshadowed in any way.

Rihanna spoke to Vogue Business about her decision to step down from running Savage x Fenty.

"It's been beautiful to see our vision for Savage X Fenty impact the industry at such an incredible magnitude over the last five years," the Umbrella singer told Vogue.

"This is just the beginning for us, and we're going to continue to expand in ways that always connect with the consumer."

Though Rihanna will no longer function as the C.

E.O. of Savage x Fenty, she is certainly not completely abandoning the project. Rihanna will remain involved as an executive chair of the company, and her new position will allow her to give more focus to her other business ventures and her growing family.

Hilary Super, who was previously the C.E.O. of Anthropologie Group, will be taking over from Rihanna. The change in C.E.O. was official as of June 26th, 2023.

Fans are eager to find out what this change in power could mean for Savage x Fenty, as well as seeing what expansions Rihanna mentioned in her statement to Vogue Business. More than that, they are glad to know that Rihanna is not quitting Fenty alltogether.