The Rise and Fall of FENTY

[@understitchYT]

If you enjoy celebrity fashion house fails, who would you like to see in the future? (I was thinking Pastelle, but idk if theres enough content there)

[@yazmuses]

PLEASE PLEASE DO IVY PARK!!!

[@LAChantrose]

I'd love to see a deep dive into Gwen Stefani's LAMB.

[@Ray-lp6ko]

Pastelle would be so interesting especially for a kanye deep dive his influence at the time in his own style is still so undeniable

[@clynt7452]

Victoria Beckham's line please!!

[@andyguzman7694]

Louis Vuitton?

[@lasenoradelacruz]

As a customer, the deciding factor to not purchase from the Fenty brand is greediness. I wanted to buy cute overprized Rihanna underwear. I did NOT, however, want to pay the ridiculous OBLIGATED $50 a month subscription to be able to purchase from the brand (which was supposed to provide “benefits” such as early access to launches). In this economy, the Fenty business model does not fly with me.

[@understitchYT]

All the Fenty businesses are run as separate entities, I know that Savage has been having a lot of negative press specifically about that, I’m not really sure why they have that business model, I haven’t looked into it, but I find it interesting

[@bananamary5907]

While i agree that the subscription was outrageous, her lingerie wasn’t overpriced, it’s pretty comparable to other stores like vs

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

@@bananamary5907 ​ while it wasn’t overpriced per say I personally have seen so many videos were people can find dupes for a fraction of the cost from fast fashion brands. And not even because they copied her (which that obviously happens too), the designs are just so generic and non-brand specific that they already exist in the marketplace. The only things kind of working in her favour are celebrity name recognition and size inclusiveness but when you’re charging an outrageous membership fee for the “pleasure” of shopping with them it automatically negates the pros.

[@enjolijackson7904]

I’ll just add that the first time I bought lingerie from Fenty, one of the bralettes came with a broken strap. I’ve literally never been able to wear it. That was super disappointing. Haven’t bought since. I honestly expected better quality for the price.

[@EMILY4DAYS]

@@enjolijackson7904 did you not return it?

[@babyblues5843]

Unfortunately the failure of this project was pretty predictable. The first problem to me is that Rihanna is neither a stylist nor a designer. Her brand had no identity not even a specific style to it, or at least a particular trait that would make it unique and stand out from the other brands on the market. In addition her fanbase could not afford a 2000 $ dress or a 500 $ pair of sunglasses. Their marketing strategy for Fenty beauty was successful and smart. It was inclusive, different and offered high quality products at an affordable or at least accessible price, because unlike Fenty, a lot of people can buy a lip gloss or a lipstick even if it's a 30$ or 25 $. Clothing however is something else. This strategy was just not applicable to a high end couture house.

[@understitchYT]

You’re completely right, the brand never knew who it was, and it didn’t know who its customer was, they should’ve known it would fail from the beginning I actually think Rihanna could make a good designer, she’s had a lot of success commercially before, but I think they steered her wrong with this

[@allenyounge5247]

I agree that she is not a designer in the conventional sense but she had had so many collaborative ventures in the past that it made sense for her to have a clothing line. i do agree that the brand lacked identity and their only selling point was rihanna which was a difficult sell given the prices of the items. i think her accessories were cool though and i wish they had began with just sunglasses, jewelery and perfumes before venturing fulling into clothes

[@eduardochavacano]

Plud the namd Fenty sounds cheap

[@siddaye]

@@eduardochavacano what do you mean?

[@tmmartinesq.6216]

@@eduardochavacano Disagree

[@beebs234]

i always wish she had made her clothing more inclusive price wise. also wish she had made a bag that was recognisable as THE fenty bag.

[@understitchYT]

EXACTLY!!! She couldve made the Telfar bag so well, it wouldve fit so so well into the inclusivism thing being that its vegan leather and accessibly priced

[@JustMe-vs1kj]

I’m sure if it was affordable it would’ve been much more popular. Fans usually don’t have a high budget to spend on merch

[@doedelbroesel3239]

To start with. SHE made nothing. It’s a designing team, she shows to get the credits...

[@princesspinhead4516]

@@doedelbroesel3239 after using sweat shops

[@NA22427]

@@princesspinhead4516 This part right here😬

[@criesinkoreaboo7269]

I agree with analysis about the brand being doomed from the start. Pop stars are marketed as these inclusive brands. And they are marketed to a poor and working class fan base. Designer brands are about exclusivity and selling expensive shit to rich people that the poors can't afford. I don't think you can court both groups of people in fashion.

[@understitchYT]

I dont know if I would call us ‘poor’ 💀💀💀💀 (though I definitely am ngl) but yeah youre so right, not only did they completely miss their captive audience, they actively excluded them, poor poor marketing indeed (pun intended)

[@anacarl5035]

“the poors” is an interesting label

[@anthonyd9844]

Lol fun fact luxury brands dont actually market to the wealthy, they market middle and upper middle class consumers seeking products that give them “status”.

[@coffeebean4356]

@@anacarl5035 it’s not a wrong label compared to the rich tho

[@erinstanger416]

Yes designers can court different income levels with their clothing lines. Designers like Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Calvin Kline have been doing it for years.

[@beatrixkiddo1111]

I am a huge Rihanna fan and would have definitely purchased something, anything from this line if it wasn't SO expensive. Even savage X bugs me a lot. The first time I purchased something they automatically signed me up for a subscription which was extremely difficult to cancel. The fact that a bra is £60 but constant VIP sales reduce prices down to £15 tells me a lot about the actual value of the item and how much profit they make... Still a fan but the concept is mind-boggling

[@understitchYT]

Im also a huge Rihanna fan, shes one of the handful of singers Ive ever seen, so it really hurt me when this business was as awful as it was. I obviously tried to be as unbiased as possible for the video, but personally I hate that this failed due to poor planning and a misunderstanding of both the company vision and their consumer Im so interested in Savage as a business concept because its so peculiar, maybe Ill do a video in the future, but I was nervous to do one so soon after this

[@Blackraregem]

But you by Louis Vuitton and European designers that could be just as expensive stop being racist Ye

[@krazykaye8843]

@@Blackraregem you live with this person? How the hell do you know what they buy?

[@bailey7792]

@Black rare gem Uh no lmao. Poor people who want to look rich.. are the ones who buy Louis Vuitton and 'European brands'.

[@Blackraregem]

@@krazykaye8843 stfu and choose what To buy i don’t buy from racist people

[@ruthjuliana9222]

They thought her fan base would just go on to purchase her luxury but $60 panties and lingerie is a vast difference to $800 denim dresses. The miscalculated greatly.

[@taylorw7395]

Agree. I think, in general, people are more inclined to spend more money on lingerie rather than everyday looks. If someone is going to spend that much money on everyday clothes, it has to be versatile and very original to be purchased. But you will have such a niche group that can afford it. I'm shocked she didn't make her everyday clothes cheaper knowing her target audience.

[@understitchYT]

I agree with both of you, she just clearly didn’t understand her audience well enough to base her business around. Actually, I don’t necessarily think it was her fault, she did all of those collaborations before with High Street brands, which makes a lot of sense, but I think LVMH basically gifted her a company that didn’t take her captive audience into account, which is a real shame, and set her up to fail

[@Jamangel]

Omg

[@Artisticmonkey2]

Bro they’re like 10$ panties not 60 lmao

[@covfefemaga7918]

I totally forgot there was a Fenty clothing line. I remember seeing a few hauls youtube and the clothing looked oversized, masculine, boxy, scratchy, etc. There was nothing luxury about it. It looked like upcycled thrifted items. Price didn't matter because it was ugly.

[@understitchYT]

Yeah, I agree, it doesn’t look luxury, and I don’t think it looks like it suits everyone, which is kind of the whole thing with Fenty. Just a really big mess all around really

[@moonlit.b1b1]

i only learned of its exsistence through this video 😂😅

[@diopfifi4937]

I absolutely agree. They were ugly

[@diopfifi4937]

​@@understitchYT her clothing only looked good on her.

[@zaasfromparis]

I was the team manager for the pop up in Paris and it was kind of sad . They refuse people at the entrance , then the day after they allowed people to buy only 2 items , they invited many random influencers , the day after rumors about the designs were dupe of young designers and a week later the store was empty of customers. Our best seller was the sunglasses ….

[@understitchYT]

Yeah, this was exceptionally bad planning from a major fashion company. That is definitely supposed to know what they’re doing, it’s absolutely a shock. I understand limiting people when they know undoubtedly that they were going to sell out, but it’s just embarrassing to not even come close, I don’t remember much buzz online either, maybe they invited the wrong influencers? Really an absolute fail, very embarrassing

[@Yallmaddtobad]

Where was it the Pop up exactly

[@Yallmaddtobad]

​@@understitchYT Why are you telling lies on Rihanna company what are you a Kardashian clan friend???

[@sneekz07]

@@Yallmaddtobad Who cares it flopped.

[@lilithowl]

​@@sneekz07 well OBVIOUSLY the person who asked the question cares

[@RichielaurensIII]

I think her makeup line was extremely popular because every single makeup brand, who’s job is literally makeup, didn’t have as many shades as her line did. Which is kinda, weird ngl. How is a celebrity who’s thing is singing, going to beat you in a makeup line?

[@RichielaurensIII]

Just finding out this is not really about fenty beauty

[@understitchYT]

That’s okay lovely, there’s a whole video about her make up line on my beauty channel 💕

[@cherissetillman8973]

And every since then other brands started doing it. 😒

[@huntsman145]

MAC had the shades for ages. Makeup Forever too. Fenty had the better marketing and more importantly aimed at non-professionals, so most people now have this false impression.

[@RichielaurensIII]

@@huntsman145 yea that’s prolly why it’s more known. Most people aren’t professionals

[@rodneywaynejackson]

These artist have to remember everything is driven by their celebrity and the fact that she toned down her music directly contributed to this decline as well!

[@understitchYT]

I think they were trying to make it more than a celebrity brand…while banking on the celebrity 🙄🙄 genius marketing at its finest 🙄🙄🙄

[@rodneywaynejackson]

@@understitchYT Truly. In some ways they succeeded. However, I feel they isolated themselves from the percentile who bought simply because Rihanna is primarily a Rockstar.😎

[@understitchYT]

Oh yes, completely, they alienated her captive audience! Not only is that really a risk, not explicitly explaining that it was meant for a different clientele is so stupid, it made her audience feel rejected which then risks the other two actually successful lines

[@rodneywaynejackson]

@@understitchYT I agree thus isolation if the core was not a smart move. In and of themselves the designs were not remarkable as you point out at that price point. True theory and design is a must when embarking on a undertaking of this magnitude. She has to educate herself before proceeding.

[@understitchYT]

Yeah, the designs just did not stand out at all, and when you’re trying to rebrand such a famous person as being a fashion designer, a true creative genius, enough to warrant a whole luxury brand, they needed to push the needle further

[@elena-fashionista2600]

Little insider news from a friend who is in the legal team at lvhm. When the brand started there was a lot of trouble because of how similar the names fenti and fendi where. However, the situation was still solved because "the boss at lvhm adores her and everything she does", also she was already planning to extend to interior design and other fields too. So it's incredible to think that even with all that support from lvhm the brand still didn't succeed!!

[@understitchYT]

Oh, that is some tea! It absolutely does not surprise me that she and Bernard Arnault have a close relationship, they seem to like each other from a Videos, I don’t doubt that she will have more companies under the fancy name again in the future, to add to the make up, skin, and lingerie business. I just hope they do better research next time.

[@nadine8764]

Also, the pandemic didn't help, it just made it tank

[@Rae_is_Bae]

What can Fendi possibility have to say about this woman using her own given name on her brand? 🤐

[@jennaywilliams1024]

Thanks for that because that was dumb as hell to have a brand name so close to Fendi. It's like, knockoff

[@AirQuotes]

@@jennaywilliams1024 Pucci would have something to say about that

[@kyleanuar9090]

Fenty should have collaborated with prominent designer like JW Anderson, he'd be perfect for her looks

[@understitchYT]

That would've been amazing! In the beauty video I suggest it would be a good collab for her to do high fashion labelss like his's make up so that they can have a product offering that is as profitable as make up within LVMH, so keeping it high fashion-y, it feels like thats a gap in the market

[@en2186]

Love me a good j.w anderson BUT fenty wasn't really a brand that had a significant dna to start with. Rih's style usually is simple but with a little nips and tucks that's why her fits look so good and that was exactly what Maison Fenty represented. J.w is more of a deconstructing designer. I am not saying rihanna wouldn't wear it, but it wouldn't have matched the vibe of Fenty

[@itisred100]

It's strange that Rhianna made a point about how the clothes are inclusive for curvy people when a lot of the clothes are so boxy and stiff and unflattering on all body types.

[@understitchYT]

Yeah, I don’t think they would suit many people really, they didn’t even really suit her 🤷

[@alejandronopasanada5302]

I have a personal gripe against that unflattering lingerie. It was SOOO generic and something was boxy about it🤔🤔 I dated a couple well to do fans.

[@MsBougeeValentía]

​@@understitchYT😂😂00😂

[@paristhrone2546]

@@understitchYTit’s called fashion ur ignorant and dress like trasg

[@luckas221a]

well that's pretty inclusive. everyone looks bad!

[@Rosewtr_]

You’re totally right! I agree! If Fenty were to return I think they could really do well if they focus on bags, outerwear (like dope oversized jackets), heels and sunglasses-these are things she’s known for and it would help the customer to recognize the brand and connect with her. Thank you for sharing your insights!! Really great and well presented commentary! Looking forward to more! 😊

[@understitchYT]

For sure, especially puffer coats I could see from Rihanna, would be very on brand

[@sammysoppy3361]

i had no idea this line ever existed and i knew about her lingerie and makeup lines …lol i guess that says it all

[@understitchYT]

Well, at least you know the successful ones, I’m sure that’s the way they’d like it too 😂🤣

[@melodramatic7904]

@@understitchYT ohhhh! I thought this WAS about the makeup line! 😅

[@jasminmarte277]

Hahaha same

[@plantitasp]

@@melodramatic7904 same honestly I was lit what Fenty make up is hugee

[@moustik31]

Same. At the beginning, I thought this was a video about the downfall of Savage × Fenty.

[@sew_gal7340]

The clothes dont look classy and elegant, they look kardashian-ish and it ignores the diversity of clientele , for myself i dont mind spending money on expensive clothes but they need to have an air of class and elegance, perhaps even "old money" luxury. There needs to be more diversity in ideas not just skin tone and body types, everything looks too much these days.

[@understitchYT]

I can’t believe I didn’t think that, you’re completely right, if they were a low price point, I would immediately think these were more Kim Kardashian than Rihanna, because they’re so ugly, and they look so cheap and badly made. We are so often sold crap by the Kardashians, that I would easily put the two together, but never Rihanna, she seems above that

[@Jazzy869]

I agree. I went into her Savage store I wanted to support so bad but everything was kind of hideous.

[@Liitebulb]

They're polyester bras, like most bras on the market nothing to do with old money. She's not from old money herself, why would her clothes be?

[@anthonyd9844]

The brand never felt fully developed. Prices were high but the designs didn’t justify it. Had she hired a seasoned designer to collaborate with like Rick Owens, Rei kawakubo or mowalola she could’ve killed it 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@understitchYT]

Yeah completely, not rihannas fault i dont think, she was effectively gifted a company that was doomed to fail

[@anthonyd9844]

@@understitchYT exactly, it looked like LVMH wanted to ride the wave off her success with beauty and reputation but not fully invest in creating a signature fenty look like have with other luxury brands. Could’ve been an island inspired brand by her roots in Barbados or mimic Rihanna’s personal style, anything specific. But she got stuck with high end Zara. Hopefully she gets a second go at it in the future

[@commandery3574]

lol mowalola steals designs too. there was this girl that posted all about it on her twitter. it was messed up. i’m not particularly impressed by her work

[@alexanderloughran2716]

Getting Rick or Rei to make a celeb fashion line is not a good idea

[@Mchannnel]

Fenty should’ve done “Caribbean with a couture edge” designs for the launch! Rihanna is from Barbados and her being Caribbean has been one of her marketing points.

[@understitchYT]

Sounds like youre talking about Botter

[@mosessupposes2571]

Decent looking affordable clothing of any geography would have been a good start.

[@malegi29]

The popularity of Fenty was because of Rihanna’s fame and the celebrities she brought to the fashion show but the clothes was always cheap looking and trashy honestly.

[@understitchYT]

Which is amazing considering the LV and celine heavy design team!! What an utter shame as a failure as a business, both from the business and creative sides

[@sew_gal7340]

It has that ratchet look to them which for me is fun sometimes but the whole point is that you buy them from some main street shop with the neon signs and they're super cheap and you wear them to fulfill some fantasy then throw it away. It isn't something a person spend hard earned money on just to look cheap. No.

[@megauxvasse6797]

It never looked trashy,tbh. Just fun and loud.& I get that ppl may not like intense fashion choices,so it won't look as good to some. & that's normal. It was for ppl with really big personalities. I hope that perhaps it can come back more revamped for each taste,like her makeup line.

[@just_b_there]

😂😂😂

[@PLYDbyMXRTLE]

@Lilith’s Moon🌓 Hear me out babe, we have to respect Rihanna, not just a music artist, but also a businesswoman who created Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, and Savage X Fenty, but... Fenty clothes? Haven't heard about it but sadly it discontinued. Bummer.

[@xoxolorae]

There’s a common theme here with celebrity Beauty product lines, in that they’re all declining. We’re in a recession and during the pandemic, beauty sales were drastically declining but skincare products were actually on the rise. That was to be expected since people weren’t really going out. But this also trickled into 2023, as there are less sales in general (check annual reports from Sephora or Ulta for example from 2020-2022) for beauty products. Lots of people are realizing that these products are marketed to a low to med income market, but have high price tags, so it was only a matter of time that these celeb lines would decline in sales. It also isn’t exclusive to Fenty. Rare Beauty (Selena), Kylie, Ariana, etc. All sales are declining steadily. What is interesting to me is that in contrast, brands like SKIMS by Kim K are more likely to steadily grow in success, as it’s neutral and more people are seeking “comfort” products. Kim K isn’t my fav celeb to fund, but Skims is legit good. Bras are comparable in price to VC but way more comfortable and better fit. Her sizing is inclusive as well. These celebs need to stop cheaply going for the Beauty route and start going more into home goods or inclusive clothing lines.

[@understitchYT]

This is a video about the fashion house, but I do have a video about the beauty line here kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoOreKGLaZ2KmcU

[@fjwjejxnwnkksckcmwwnwn]

I think you got confused. This video is about her Fashion brand, not Fenty Beauty. LVMH reported sales for Fenty Beauty this month and the revenue for Fenty Beauty was actually doubled in 2022. Even though her fashion brand flopped, her beauty brand and the lingerie brand (Savage X Fenty) are very much flourishing.

[@twistedbabydoll85]

Skims is growing because of empty-headed women who are addicted to consumerism.

[@TrvisXXIII]

Shoutout to blackfemininityTV! Glad you mentioned the channel in this video

[@understitchYT]

I bloody love their channel, I feel like I learn something with every songle one of their videos

[@JamenLS]

Fenty was hella mid. It reminded me Baby Phat. It was literally only remotely popular because of Rhianna's celebrity. She didn't make garments lux enough to demand lux prices

[@understitchYT]

Baby Phat is so iconic now in such an ironic way 😂 I dont think Fenty will get there 😬 😂🤣💀💀

[@elliegoulding744]

I agree lol!

[@emmssi8714]

I can’t believe people actually buy any celebrity crap at all lmao. The moment I hear a brand is under x celebrity, I do the opposite of what everyone does, and just leave it

[@understitchYT]

These days we are oversaturated with celebrity lines, but back in the day it wasn’t quite as bad as it was

[@Jamangel]

Fr

[@1234cheerful]

For years it was just perfume, a celebrity would do a perfume with a recognized manufacturer. I don't know if they do that much now. I'm thinking Elizabeth Taylor, Mikhail Baryshnikov....

[@ilove6kies]

For real about the celeb fragrance back in the day. I’m a perfume junky and White Diamond (yes I know it’s kinda old lady-ish) is top notch.

[@twistedbabydoll85]

Because most people are followers who attach their identities to these celebrity puppets. None of them get my money. EVER.

[@The-Cookie]

Frankly didn’t even know this brand existed

[@understitchYT]

💀💀💀

[@17leven94]

I always thought Fenty was a lil mid

[@understitchYT]

Oh just you wait 😂🤣

[@idontarguewithpeasants]

i always thought it looked a bit cheap

[@marijamihailova7627]

Puma x Fenty Spring 2018 was a blast. I wish she had gone into that direction and break through into gorpcore. I think she has this innate understanding of balancing feminine with masculine pieces. Just as she styles herself or used to style herself. One of the few on this Earth that look good in menswear as in womenswear. Would love for her to dabble in menswear.

[@understitchYT]

Honestly, I think that might of worked for her, it’s just a shame that she left to do something that was so unsuccessful

[@careylove]

It’s crazy that I’ve heard of Savage x Fenty and I own Fenty foundation but I never even knew there was a clothing line.

[@understitchYT]

To me it was the big one I was most excited about. Savage I neever cared about at all

[@careylove]

@@understitchYT Oh wow I don’t blame you

[@germann_r]

Your videos are great and educational! There’s so much dedication and professional analysis. Thank you! As for Fenty. I guess one of the main problems was that those clothes were pretty basic. When Rihanna wears them is one thing because she has that great celebrity appeal so could wear anything and still look fantastic. Take that sparkly sack she wore in This is What You Can for music video. She looked fabulous and chic! But could any of us pull it off the same way? Not so sure about that. So my point is when you separate those clothes from Rihanna image they’re just basic clothes, t-shirts, blazers and jeans. No wonder people tried them on and were like ok what exactly am I paying for? A shirt that looks like Uniqlo or some high fashion stuff?

[@understitchYT]

Firstly, thank you so much that’s such a really nice compliment. Secondly, in regards to their product offering, you’re so right, it’s exceptionally mundane clothing. And I don’t think anybody else could pull off that blazer jacket that she was so many times, I don’t even really think she pulled it off, t wasn’t very nice tbh. Really, she could’ve got away with it. If it was more reasonably priced, I think people would’ve bought it but maybe never worn it, so maybe for the environment it was for the best 😂

[@sew_gal7340]

The clothes to me looked like every basic wear ever in the 2020s , they are marketing towards a niche audience...an instagram crowd instead of what real normal every day people wear. These clothes arent "nice", they are boring, and suitable for certain demographics not the business woman or the house wife or the student. If you spend 18 hours on instagram you would love it but most people dont and wont see the appeal.

[@unapologetic2992]

You're right about the fame aspect but the clothe were attended to look basic (Feel like you're using this term in a demeaning way, God knows why). The clothe were basically Essential clothe (it's a term in fashion) with some edge.

[@mrdecember]

You perfectly highlighted the brand's shortcomings with lack of identity, but also lack of targeting the correct consumer base. To me, the fashion house Fenty was just a case of Bernard Arnault attempting to capitalise on powerful name and creative. The timing also lines up with LVMH seeing the financial success of Virgil at Louis Vuitton so I think they figured they could just magically recreate something like that, without giving it the proper diligence

[@understitchYT]

Thank you so much and I really agree that it was simply BA trying to get a bag

[@Meduse04]

I really appreciate your work 😍 it’s so nice to see this kind of quality content for free, and also so consistent 👏

[@understitchYT]

Thank you so much, I’m so glad you appreciate my dedication 💕💕

[@aaronjanlistanco]

Rihanna was great on Puma as guest creative director & now Savage Fenty like combinations of Yeezy x Victoria Secrets x Nensi Dojaka x Esther Manas

[@understitchYT]

She definitely had a lot of demand for a fashion line, but I think she was coerced into doing something that was not maybe for her

[@aaronjanlistanco]

@@understitchYT I agree with you, but they should give Rihanna chance maybe a year or two to gain popularity on the market. And yeah I saw the Fenty only collection and it was basics, Rihanna should train in any fashion school to learn more when it comes to techniques--just my opinion

[@understitchYT]

She had a whole team of LVMH designers brought in to help with the pieces she did make for Fenty and even that couldnt save it. But actually, I dont think it was Rihannas fault? i thjnk it was bad planning

[@nomnom103]

I still have her puma sneakers

[@myacct8304]

I just subscribed. Your Coco Chanel video was a great primer, but this is STELLAR. I had no idea that Rihanna even HAD a fashion line (and I say this as a Savage x Fenty FAN. I’m currently wearing an SxF onesie lol). Thank you for your work!

[@understitchYT]

Omg thank you so so much ❤️‍🔥 what an incredibly flattering thing to hear ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@gee.kay.4787]

Love the sunglasses. Couldn’t afford them then, but I’ve been snagging them up from re-sellers at lower prices. I agree, she should focus on accessories! Bring back the sunnies!!

[@understitchYT]

Oh my gosh, that’s so smart, I never imagined it would come up for resale

[@cupcake1065]

I know fashin is an incredibly difficult industrty to tap into but this could have been so much more successful. I could see this brand being a better Urban Outfitters or Weekday etc , in that it would clothes the under belly movements in society across cultures, classes etc. If she had launched this brand with a more affordable price point, I could see all the Gen Z kids rocking Fenty Clothes and THE BRAND to wear for that 90s etc cool and stylish look. she could have release more premium lines for the Millenials to invest in for those key pieces. Different shapes of denim, really authentic 90 pieces, statement or stable peices that shout the brand's identity.. There was so much potential here as Riri is a fashion icon and has also tapped into alternative fashions over her entire career.

[@understitchYT]

Oh yeah completely agree. If it was accessible then it couldve done so well. They couldve had the shoes or bags be more luxury priced and had the clothes as the entry level products??!?!? Like that wouldve been so smart

[@wordsbygemm]

I 100% agree that Fenty could make a return! I don't think it would ever work as a high price point luxury brand though, I think it would need to be more mid-range (at least to start with). I think if they launched in a similar way to how it was done with Fenty Beauty (starting with a small collection and building up the offering over time) it could end up doing really well, or at least significantly better than the first run haha!

[@understitchYT]

Oh yes, completely, if it was mid-tier itd be much more likely to succeed

[@meld258]

Her makeup line is soooo good!!! I love the foundation, highlights and lipgloss.

[@understitchYT]

This is a video about the fashion house, but I do have a beauty line video here kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoOreKGLaZ2KmcU

[@Killermusic59]

I believe fenty as a brand was misunderstood and not at all clear in its offerings! Everytime I wear fenty pieces people love them on me and how they are styled and I work in a huge department store as a stylist. Celebs have asked me who I’m wearing. I believe a huge factor of this is we never got to see it live in shows or even on other celebs.

[@Killermusic59]

They also invited all the wrong influencers and didn’t have it readily available for purchase. Only putting it in some pop ups and exclusively online was a death knell.

[@understitchYT]

I do wish we would’ve been able to see it in more situations, yes, that definitely contributed to the lack of positive exposure to the brand that we had as consumers. And, the clothing pieces weren’t inherently bad, they were very minimal, but if it was part of the DNA that would’ve been fine, the problem I had with it was that the DNA was confused. They never spent a time to really develop the idea of who Fenty was, in order to sell their vision successfully. If you look at Victoria Beckham, or Stella McCartney, both celebrity brands that have developed their own sense of identity that really sells the brand of the public, Fenty never did that

[@Killermusic59]

@@understitchYT I think the problem was jahleel being junior creative director. I dislike his personal style and how he styles Rihanna. He’s also never designed before or gone to school for design. I do agree that the dna felt a bit anonymous. Altho I do think the denim corset dress the dragon print dress and the floral prints where good directions for what the brand could have looked like and what direction they should have taken. The brands marketing was also off in the sense that they never told us what we where wearing the clothes for? They said a global person free from constraints of fashion norms…. But does that mean we are wearing it to work or school or going out in it?

[@1234cheerful]

@@understitchYT and in the video there was a piece that said Victoria Beckham still struggles to profit after 10 years, not a cakewalk. Not a failure at this point but not the slam dunk, easy home run she might have expected.

[@PLYDbyMXRTLE]

Respect Rihanna, babies! Of course I haven't heard about Fenty fashion until seeing this video, saying that the brand she created was discontinued. Also, she had cut ties with Louis Vuitton way back 2021.

[@Lolibeth]

But Savage X Fenty doesn't have that much of a bigger size range than VS. They just use a wider range of bodies in the marketing. I follow indie brands that have more sizes in the clearance leftovers than either SXF or VS carry in their entire range.

[@understitchYT]

Really, everything is marketing, brands don’t actually need to deliver anymore as long as they tell you that theyre delivering

[@lizzfrmhon]

This video is so well done and could be used as teaching material for marketing and merchandising majors.

[@understitchYT]

If I ever find out that this happened I would be so incredibly touched (and maybe cry like Kim when she lost that earring

[@lizzfrmhon]

@@understitchYT 🤣👍🏼👍🏼

[@leecallam-target182]

I'm launching a fashion line on my own. I will be launching it at the Black Business Show in Birmingham, England, next month. This video was very informative and educational for me. Brilliant video. I learned so much from your commentary and observation of Fenty and Ivay Beyonce brand. I had to subscriber. Braking down all the important parts of creating, launching a brand. Advertising marketing is the hardest part of building a brand, let alone all the other aspects, in launching a successful brand. I'm a loyal student now.

[@understitchYT]

Youre right, its really not easy at all and it takes not only years of study but an invested interest in business too. I think thats why its so hard for designers to get off the ground now. Its too much for one person to be the designer and the businessperson at the same time. Perhaps thats why so many businesses that are partnerships do so well

[@leecallam-target182]

@@understitchYT Your right. Trying to find someone who could do the business side for you, with the same passion for the brand that you have isnt easy either. Im struggling big time finding good people to work with. Fiver or Upworks might be an option but that will cost either way. For the most part, the big or small companies with large advertising budgets are the ones that have a better chance to make it work.

[@understitchYT]

@@leecallam-target182 Fiverr can only take you so far, but finding someone as emotionally invested in your company as you are is a goldmine

[@leecallam-target182]

@@understitchYT very true that. Hopefully, I'll find that person in time.

[@ellieamissah3759]

Hi what is your brand called ​@leecallam-target182

[@missym877]

I think the problem is really way more simple than what’s even explained. Rihanna isn’t an innate fashionista. She has always had a TEAM of stylists and visionaries behind her. People wanted the Fenty line because they wanted to be able to pop up to an event like Rihanna, and look like Rihanna…the Rihanna an A&R team created. So the problem is even Rihanna is dressed by someone else. You can’t sell fashion when you aren’t the brains behind your most coveted looks. The other more obvious issue…Rihanna’s interest change with the wind. That would be fine if she stuck with something but she tends to lose steam along the way. If you’re building a brand primarily off of your celebrity, you can’t disappear for nearly a decade doing everything BUT what gave you relevancy to begin with.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

On the subject of the awards and glowing articles: this isn't uncommon for mediocre art in any medium. The illusion of success can often be more important than success. Big brands have more sway, and sway is more important than quality. True for the Oscars, the Grammys, you name it. Emily in Paris was nominated in two Golden Globe categories, then it was revealed they had essentially bribed the judges, which was a common practice. If you can get critics on your side and a bunch of awards, most people will assume you earned them. Consumerism and capitalism are never good. Some people viewed this as a win for a black female entrepeneur, but you can't put a progressive facade on a toxic power structure. There were also allegations of poor quality and sweatshops - which is true of the majority of both luxury and fast fashion. Great vid, I'm learning a lot about marketing 💜

[@understitchYT]

Oh yeah completely, buying awards has been so incredibly common for so long now that I really dont trust the award system much at all. I barely even look at the best dressed lists tbh, I just simply dont care 🤷

[@understitchYT]

And thank you, Im so glad you leant a lot from my videos 💕

[@twistedbabydoll85]

Best comment under this video. This should be the top comment. But sadly it isn't because too many people idolize celebrities and capitalism, and Rihanna's fans think she's Jesus.

[@ellehoods1745]

I personally really loved her line and was upset that they didn't invest more time in marketing the brand. I like the fenty lingerie designs half the time and notably remember some garments. That said nomatter the design of a lingerie garment I can't imagine paying too much let alone a subscription. You are so right about accessibility. The industry party and lack of real marketing was so Important because I felt that was EXACTLY what killed it. I LOVED the construction of her jackets and really wanted the pieces! I think they should have pushed harder longer. Their marketing was lazy and not impactful. I actually felt like their line was cohesive. I would actually adore having everything in the collection other than the shoes.

[@understitchYT]

It’s a real shame, because if any fashion celebrity had potential to make a high fashion line, it was Rihanna. They just completely ignored her captive audience, marketed it badly, obviously it was going to fail, I don’t understand how they didn’t see this coming.

[@Lala-lw6pi]

I was disappointed by the savage quality- super cheap in comparison to the price (which isnt too bad). U can even see this low quality just from the site. I refused to buy any of it but was given some as gift and I wasnt wrong. Apparently she just slapped her name on savage and wore the hell out of some of the clothes to make it look more expensive (and Im sure they made her the highest quality stuff for photoshoots) and that was enough for people to buy. But she has no creative control or any kind of control besides advertising who is disappointed- we wanted to support it because ITS her. Her brand represents high quality and high fashion but didnt think about making the brand that people buy match

[@understitchYT]

I really don’t know much about Savage X Fenty in that regard, like I don’t know who is the designer of the pieces, but it was set up in the same way as the other two, where LVMH basically gifted her a company to add her celebrity to. I’m sure she has some creative control, but from the way that all of these companies came to be it seems like they had the idea and just needed a celebrity to endorse it. The only real thing that we have that makes it look more planned is the story about Rihanna growing up, wanting to see her skin tone in foundation, for the beauty line. Other than that, it does seem like she was tagged on.

[@kristenwittmeier1707]

I can’t tell you how many times I see this with businesses. They start their businesses with no clue of the basics like who their audience/customer truly is. They don’t even have a clue which direction to go or why their now forced to file chapter 11. Too many mistakes from the start. Too much ego, very little planning with reality in mind. Bottom line, “know your audience and just because you have fashion sense, dress well and are popular….does not mean your meant to be a fashion designer bad ass bla bla bla.

[@understitchYT]

I completely, if you don’t understand your audience, how do you expect to sell to them?

[@yourtrinketbox]

i would love more videos about celebrities brands. videos that goes into specifics like kim’s or just about a video about the rise of celebrity based brands

[@understitchYT]

Great! Im on it ❤️‍🔥

[@kandicecreese9588]

As a woman of the Caribbean why didnt she openly market her products in the Caribbean as well? Her price range too high

[@understitchYT]

I think her distribution was done by LVMH too, I dont know how much footing they have there, but it wouldve been amazing if she had the launch party there to introduce a store

[@oussamaallaoua8041]

She stepped into luxury design and that industry has some of the most pretentious difficult to please but also loyal customers. She had to earn their respect before considering sales reports. But what she really should have done is affordable luxury, something like Jacquemus.

[@understitchYT]

She was so well loved by Bernard Arnault, I think she trusted him to take care of her, but he just made a mistake eith the research for this one 🤷

[@kkb892]

EXCELLENT video. I fully agree. As a consumer, the clothes were boring. She really could’ve done something standout. Her shoes were standout because I have seen other brands dupe her style. I’m just not sure who the originator was but I do know that style was popular. Also, you’re right, the price was wrong. She could’ve done some lux items but even when designer brands pair up with H&M Or other brands they have a price offering that’s reflective of their market. H and m will have a higher price for some and lower price for other things. You’re right the price was not inclusive and that’s a marker of her brand. I do think Rihanna can bounce back from this and I wish she did/could. Even with just a swimwear line to start. There are so many possibilities! I also think this goes to show that a failure doesn’t make YOU a failure. Rihanna is successful but she didn’t do well in this space, at the time. It doesn’t mean she can’t bounce back and her overall success proves she’s not a failure.

[@understitchYT]

Yes, for sure I agree with your sentiment, a brands failure in no way makes the person a failure. They can grow, adapt and learn for the next venture! A better thought over the brand couldve solved almost all the issues, its a shame they didnt try to adapt

[@sharonjordan3829]

I'm very happy to see that someone from our small island has been such a global success. However, I think that the only reason that why the fashion line became popular is because of her musical success. Most celebrity brands are just trends and a money grab. They are told because they are successful in one area, they will be successful in everything they lend their name too. This is not always the case.

[@understitchYT]

It wouldnt even exist without her pre-existing fame, so youre definitely right about that

[@pseudo148]

This was a spectacular video, I loved the way you broke everything down, definitely subscribing, BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD the background music was so jarring, with the inverted clap, it sounded like you were stuck in a TENET time warp

[@understitchYT]

There’s no clap in that audio?

[@ClaireMonica-Art]

Now you need to do Lacroix!

[@understitchYT]

Ong now thats a shour!

[@understitchYT]

*shout obviously, not shower 😂💕

[@DrBeeSpeaks]

That was a great business analysis. Here's a story...I met a company years ago that wanted to work with Rihanna, as a matter of fact, they said they were working on creating a clothing line for her. Fast forward. If you don't know your brand, your business personality, your archetype, your customer, and so on, your business may have some issues. No matter who you are. I also agree to start with less SKUs and not being everything to everyone is great advice. Also, business failure is a good thing too because you can learn from it. You don't want to offend your target and you need to know who you are as a company. Some Artists are faces of their brands and are not involved with the business aspect. Also, not being a majority owner can leave you out of the decision-making, as an owner.

[@understitchYT]

Who was the company? Im so curious 🧐🧐

[@KanishQQuotes]

Her company was notorious about signing up for a 70$ a month membership without informing people

[@understitchYT]

I think youre thinking of savage x fenty, maybe I should do a video about them one day

[@MrsBento]

Super entertaining and informative video! As a small business owner I really appreciate your analysis and thoughts on this topic. It has made me reflect on my own small brand. I look forward to more videos like this! 👍

[@understitchYT]

Im so glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks so much for commenting to tell me you enjoyed it 😭

[@caylalikescats]

i really appreciate you breaking down the 4 p's!

[@understitchYT]

My degree coming in handy 😂🤣

[@bhargavdeo8639]

Loveddd how you included 4ps from a marketing perspective

[@understitchYT]

Thank you, im glad it made the whole thing more digestible honestly

[@okay621]

Very excited for this!!!

[@understitchYT]

I hope I live up to it 🔥

[@MONET8iAM]

The River Island collection was so good and definitely showcased Rihanna’s style. With all of the collaborations under her belt, and her being a style icon, I wasn’t mad at the luxury route. I do agree that failed introduce and market the brand in the beginning, and I agree that maybe they should have started smaller.

[@understitchYT]

I agree, the RI collection really captured her image at the time, when she was in the good girl gone bad era, but its a shame she couldn't bring that personality to the Fenty brand. I guess they were too preoccupied with looking expensive to realise they were really off brand

[@CrustyUgg]

Proof that fame, popularity and inclusiveness aren't enough

[@understitchYT]

100%

[@TylerGP23]

I bought a few bras and underwear and found the fabrics itchy and irritating to my skin. The styles were nice but simply uncomfortable and cheaper feeling than I had hoped.

[@understitchYT]

Do you mean you bought them from Savage x Fenty?

[@s.s.c0110]

I remember this at the time and I found the clothes interesting, but I couldn’t see much of it. Like I couldn’t find news about it. It’s like everyone moved on after it was released 😅.

[@understitchYT]

I guess there wasnt much news because there wasnt enough people that actually cared about it enough to write or talk about it 🤷

[@TheKarateKidCode]

Thanks for taking the time to do your research and make sure a A+ video.

[@understitchYT]

Im so glad that you enjoyed it 🙌

[@TheKarateKidCode]

@@understitchYT first video of yours I’ve watched ever and now on my fourth. Amazing content !

[@understitchYT]

@@TheKarateKidCode oh really? thats great, tysm

[@chairslatte]

Watching this made me realise that Rih's fashion house was a thing. I completely forgot they existed but now I remember the initial reaction to the launch and ppl were not impressed. I hope Fenty does come back, Rih obviously still has major influence & with the right planning, people & prices, it could be successful.

[@understitchYT]

Id honestly love to see it return! Theres definitely still a demand for a fashion label from her, such a shame this was such a huge flop

[@PLYDbyMXRTLE]

Of course! This was such a freaking flop. Rihanna and Louis Vuitton has decided to end the relationship for fashion, but I think she focuses on makeup, skincare, and lingerie.

[@Diloveswill]

I love her make up, unfortunately she discontinued the hydrating foundation had to switch to another brand. However I cannot find the exact shade like Fenty huge variety of shades.

[@understitchYT]

I did a whole video about the Fenty beauty line if you want to see that? It’s on my beauty channel.

[@Ladybugg-1]

I understand totally I am the same way and I refused to buy two bottles to try to mix-and-match a shade that's what I'm paying for someone else to do it it's supposed to be ready at the store when I get there. And a lot of her makeup I could find drugstore dupes for. And I really admire her but it was just some of her products are too pricey

[@alvarocolindres4764]

Can you do a video on Oscar de la Renta, marchesa ,Escada or Mark Jacobs thank you!

[@understitchYT]

Oh I simply must!

[@aaronjanlistanco]

one collection and done.. FENTY lives less than a quarter of a year.. LVMH was hyped on Rihanna's Fenty house brand

[@understitchYT]

They spent a lot of money on it, it’s a real shock that they didn’t push it further

[@aaronjanlistanco]

@@understitchYT yeah, I think LVMH saw a huge downfall on this brand not excell on the market but they give another chance of Rihanna,

[@understitchYT]

Im not sure why they let it be run into the ground though? Its really a terribly planned venture

[@mayachapman6503]

I didn’t even know she had a clothing line. Well done video by the way!

[@understitchYT]

Thank you so much, Im glad you liked it 🙌

[@Bettylouhoneydew]

This was a fantastic video. Gained a new subscriber ❤

[@understitchYT]

Thank you so much

[@RubmaLione]

I agree this brand was doomed from the start. They applied the typical "famous celebrity launches clothing line" strategy from the 2000's that would normally place merchandise in a low-budget department store like Kohls or TJ-Maxx and instead tried to compete with Dior, Celine, Jill Sander, etc. No one respects Rihanna as a clothing designer or artistic director, she is not the author of her most famous looks (that would be her iconic stylists), and she has absolutely zero experience designing clothing. I'm not a fan of Pharrell taking over at LV, but at least he has some experience and a unique perspective/style that is wholly attributed to his own personal decisions. We need to stop hyping up celebrities to run fashion labels and let actual designers do their thing.

[@understitchYT]

The differenc is at Louis Vuitton, they know that the clothes don’t have to sell at all, the fashion shows are purely for marketing purposes while they sell bags, accessories and shoes. In a fledgling brand like fenty, they have to sell the clothes in order for it to be viable, that’s why it would never have worked for Rihanna, but it’s bound to work for Pharrell. He brings attention to a brand that needs attention, but she could not bring design to a brand that needed design

[@dimplesd8931]

I looked at the collection because I buy some lux fashion and am plus size but at 5’7”/170lbs everything looked really small and I couldn’t figure out sizing and fit. PS I AM the target market a 40+ woman with a good income and a understanding of luxury fashion. 20’s is too young to buy expensive trendy clothes. If I was Fenty I would’ve started with shoes and sun glasses, then transitioned to jackets/coats or bags. And get Mowalola a African female designer to do the clothes.

[@understitchYT]

Oh mowalola would be SOOOOO GOOOD for Fenty!!

[@lucky-belindaniko9732]

I believe Rihanna can bring her brand back with better planning and market research. I think they could stick with accessories, as they sold well, and maybe do better on the clothing. From what I gathered FENTY was an "affordable" luxury brand targeting upper middle class to upper class people who can afford to spend a couple hundred dollars on a shirt or dress. But of course if Rihanna wanted to be inclusive, she could've done more research on how she could've priced her items better to capture a wider market. Kinda like what Ciara is doing with her brand, Lita. You could look into it and do a video if you think it's interesting enough. But all in all I find celebrity brands to be hit or miss at the end of the day! But I do admire Rihanna for creating Fenty Beauty and Fenty Savage because even though we know they're her brands, they also have developed a life and following of their own.

[@understitchYT]

Beauty, and Savage, have both managed to make their own individual identity, when you think about Fenty beauty, you know what you’re thinking of, and when you think of Savage Fenty, though it is a different image, you immediately know what image to think of. With the Fenty fashion house, there was no such marketing, they did not have an identity in which to sell to people, and it’s set it up to fail from the beginning. Then, on top of that you are the fact that they didn’t understand who their target market was, the captive audience, and so the price point was wildly unexpected, it was just a huge fail. I’ve never heard of Ciara’s brand, but I’ll look into it. Thank you 💕

[@Jadorelainie]

Problem is they are celebrities and think that they have what it takes to move said fandom into their fashion brand; and if you know know, then you're aware that it takes more than just her name tagged into whatever clothes with no sense of directions or critical design knowledge of high fashion design.

[@understitchYT]

I don’t think it was really her idea to frame the company like this. I actually think that LVMH came to her with a ready-made business and she just had to sign her name on it. I think they are the ones that betted on her fame

[@IronDiva]

To me, celebrity lines are just glorified junior lines.

[@welcomemoyo92]

Your videos are supreme.

[@understitchYT]

Time for my Louis Vuitton collab 😂

[@wasabi.2839]

She could EASILY took her time with this venture, she have other two very succesful brands and shouldn't have rushed to try and exploit all the rentable potential, because of all the substantial mainstream coverage back in 2015-2016 she got. Building prestigue and then releasing something even if it takes years is much wise. She have maintain quality in Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty, she is still relevant and have worked to established her status, which creates prestigue and that is more powerful than popularity, i believe this play against her a bit in image and consistency, oh well...

[@understitchYT]

I dont necessarily think this was her idea at all. She trademarked so many different fenty brand names in so many different areas that I wouldnt be surprised if it was their plan to be a huge multifaceted lifestyle brand right from the get go. They had an extreme amount of time to plan and expand well. But they got sloppy and didnt successfully understand their market to the extent they thought they did and went into a market that their branding (equity and inclusion) may not have fit well into the pricepoint they were offering. It was foolish, haphazard and greedy 🤷

[@twistedbabydoll85]

She got too greedy. All she cares about is money. She doesn't care about inclusivity, body positivity, feminism, or ethics. She's morally bankrupt and mimicks her racist, misogynist White slave masters. When you're greedy and only care about money, it never ends up well. Oh well, her karma is past due anyway. Haste makes waste.

[@amanisawari]

My first vid I'm watching of yours and my face when you defined "in-kind"...In-kind budget items are usually material goods but can be service hours, for example her booking and participating in a ton of photoshoots for the brand

[@understitchYT]

I dont remember exactly what I said at this point, but yes, in-kind can be anything regarded of the same value, which in her case is her fame by way of photoshoots/interviews/promotion etc

[@pigeon51]

It was naff and the underwear is very cheap and tacky too.

[@understitchYT]

I saw a video about the Savage X Fenty underwear recently actually, and they were not very complimentary about the quality of the product. I haven’t had a chance to check it myself, but I thought that was quite interesting given what I know and said in this video about this Fenty house

[@en2186]

Agree... even the t shirt bras that are usually more of a high quality ripped and broke after a year

[@charmedprince]

I think that the people involved think that just by pushing paid articles that people would fawn over it just by attaching Rihanna's likeness. It was never Rihanna's brand. She sold out. And that's why she was never in control. People saw Fenty something to bridge not only race and size but to an extent a mass appeal for Rihanna's seemingly humble persona. That was what they failed to consider. In the end, Fenty became this snobbish brand (much like the rest if these fashion houses) that it tried to deviate from in the first place.

[@understitchYT]

Isnt it such a shame to know that so much is paid promotion, it devalues the criticism and covering in general. It devalues the publication

[@twistedbabydoll85]

Fenty really and truly did nothing for race progression nor body positivity. In fact, it made it worse by depicting Black women in racially stereotypical roles (the sleazy branding of Savage. BTW, "savage" was a racist word that was used by White colonizers to describe Indigenous and African natives and it's still used as such), and not even having proper bra sizing. Every woman with huge boobs isn't obese, and everybody isn't just skinny or fat. Plus, she has the tendency to kiss the asses of rich white men and just men in general, especially abusive men, criminal men, and male pedos/rapists. She's nothing but a pawn to perpetuate toxic capitalism and toxic patriarchy under the guise of "girl boss". And you're right. She was never in control which is why the whole billionaire title is nothing but PR fluff and lies, like it is with Kanye and the Kartrashians.

[@shanaloiseau2926]

The first thing that did strike me it’s the fact that the brand was made for curvy women but if you look at the models it shows the total opposite …

[@understitchYT]

Yeah I couldnt agree more, really confused branding

[@shanaloiseau2926]

@@understitchYT let’s target a certain demographic because it will give us cash ✨

[@phoenixrisen3077]

Wait, we’re just talking about the clothes not succeeding…not everything else…because the beauty and skincare parts of Fenty are thriving.

[@understitchYT]

I have a whole video about the beauty and skincare on my beauty channel, you should watch it because it’s really good, and it’s a rise and rise (obviously) 💕

[@ideservecouture6883]

Love this video ❤️ such good research

[@understitchYT]

Thank you so much 💕💕💕

[@Victorcolongarcia]

How I hate fashion. The most superficial and egotistic thing on this planet. And promoting consumerism is stupid. I wish people opened their eyes and stopped caring for this

[@understitchYT]

Consumption is in everything. Today you dont even have to buy to be a consumer

[@marionmarino1616]

Very sad. I live in NYC, she should have either a store on a main shopping street or had spaces in stores like Macy’s. Without that there was no place to go and shop. I do not understand why the normal route to get customers wasn’t followed.

[@understitchYT]

Yeah it really was a strangely planned venture

[@IronDiva]

She’d do well with the Macy’s crowd.

[@ihatejellybeans7375]

One thing that turned me off about her brand is how there were very obvious biased opinions on the quality and value of the items. One influencer is also a savage fenty embassador and has videos of her partying with Rihanna. She made a review of the items, and it was obvious that they weren't that great, but she went on like they were. It soured my view on the brand. Especially after looking on the website and seeing the crazy price points for the target audience.

[@understitchYT]

I don’t think the products looked very high-quality at all, even on Rihanna herself. They looked just like a normal garment, I’m not trying to be shady, but they didn’t look like the high quality luxury item that they were trying to market them as

[@ihatejellybeans7375]

@understitch, I agree. They looked like fast fashion itens, and the style was not that forward to warrant a fashion line.

[@Whoisthatgirl-gj8uw]

The real answer is, celebrity brands are trends of the moment and most if not all will inevitably fail as the star power dwindles or the celebrity moves away from the spot light. I can’t name one celebrity brand from the 90s, 00s, or 10s that’s relevant today. The original Fenty market is now in their 30s-40s with families and have moved on. The upcoming 20 year olds have new celebrities they look towards moving into new trends and different needs than the prior generation. It’s the cycle of life when it comes to these celebrity brands

[@understitchYT]

Yes for sure, celeb brands nearly always a purposfully meant to fail, the exceptions like Victoria Beckham came with an enormous amount of stubbornness to not close abd from a genuine place of love for fashion

[@yazmuses]

PLEASE DO IVY PARK

[@understitchYT]

Oh thats a great idea!!

[@LeeSophie01]

I never gave it a second thought but it's true. When I think of Fenty, I think of Rihanna. I can't think of a single pice of clothing. Fenty beauty and Savage x Fenty are very different in that sense but the actual clothing line (?)... there's just a picture of her that pops up in my head

[@understitchYT]

100% yes, it wasnt a product based line and therefore just didnt have longevity

[@mischa6688]

I kinda disagree with because this person is popular she/he should have a brand without really having the background or at least an artistic side to have their “signature” stuff to put out to the market, whereas there are really creative people yet didn’t have as much opportunity to release their line. Well, I guess that’s how connection and popularity work in life.

[@understitchYT]

I think youre describing the necessity to have both a creative head and a business/financial head of the company, and yeah, I really agree. We have lost far too many great designers for not having financial backing and we have seen far too many bad celebrity lines for not having creative backing

[@mischa6688]

@@understitchYT thanks for exactly rewording my thoughts. I mean it is not bad to be ambitious and try to start your own brand/branding but at least try harder to have it established and not just for the sake of using your celeb status thinking you will cash in no matter how boring or ugly your brand is. Rihanna, for one, was so fortunate to be backed up by LV but sadly, they didn’t try hard enough for this sort of sub-brand.

[@understitchYT]

@@mischa6688 imo I think that LVMH approached Rihanna, not the other way around. It really looks like they basically gifted her a company without actually doing any of the research needed

[@twistedbabydoll85]

That's the biggest problem. And it's disheartening to know what Rihannna and the Kartrashians are made out to be what "success" looks for women, when they are nothing but overpaid, glorified, capitalist scammers using their looks and lack of talent to sell cheaply made products.

[@Prepareandtakeaim13130]

​@@understitchYT in an interview she mentioned they came to her. I do not know but my gut feeling tells me that it was all intentional with the Fenty clothing line to be left aside

[@singstreetcar5881]

She should have search for a very talented newly graduated fashion school designer graduate and handed the fashion house over to him/her. A fresh face to head the line

[@EMILY4DAYS]

This is excellent 👌🏼 I wonder what Fenty will do next? 🤔 Booze? Hair care? Intimate products? Chips? 😆

[@21stcenturygypsy]

Fenty Kids...It's been recently reported as trademarked

[@understitchYT]

Hair care will definitely come, it’s a huge trend for 2023, and she already has a skincare and beauty line, it’s definitely coming. And Fenty hair, and Fenty kids have both been trademarked, I use that as a reference in my beauty video

[@jijika3518]

I used to work in Fenty beauty finance team, before I leave last year I know they were going to start fragrance.

[@evilpixiedance]

I had the LVMH account when I was a supply chain executive with a large luxury department store chain. Wonderful company with whom to do business. They were a favorite vendor of mine. LVMH are clearly genius at what they do. However, the organization at times relies too much on their standing in the industry. They aren't great at being detail oriented. They most definitely don't micromanage their people, at least not when I worked with them. I don't think they have the skill set to take on a celebrity brand without more stand out designs and a MUCH better PR campaign. The response was very MEH from the fashion press and the public. Nice video. You summed it up perfectly.

[@understitchYT]

Thank you for such interesting insight, did they get many repeat orders? Or was that not something you oversaw?

[@evilpixiedance]

The chain for whom I worked is large. I was in AP and supply chain. I was not in the buying office but I worked with buyers to a point. Not that markdown money was an issue with LVMH. LVMH was a "big picture" kind of organization. The relationship was mutually beneficial. They made money from our orders. We easily sold their products. Everyone was happy. They did not argue over petty chargebacks and the like. We sold A LOT of their merchandise, and they were not going to squabble over a few dollars. Wish all my vendors had been as gracious as they were. Again, appreciated the your video. It described the LVMH I know and love.

[@LiveRight84]

I wish she started with bags and t-shirts, her logo is so sick

[@understitchYT]

Honestly I wouldve jumped at a logo bag

[@sunny-pe2uo]

Relying on star power only goes so far

[@understitchYT]

Pretty much 🤷‍♂️

[@aalti]

I liked Fenty personally. The quality was great, and I enjoyed the way the pieces could be worn interchangeably within the collection.

[@understitchYT]

Did you get to try the clothing on?

[@aalti]

I did… and I also bought a few pieces that are doing well a few later. I got invited to some exclusive events, and even got to meet Rihanna at Selfridges London. I do however agree with some of your observations. The brand did not have a clear targeted market. Unfortunately building off her celebrity only wasn’t going to be enough for the price point she was after. It should have been named something else to be fair.

[@understitchYT]

@@aalti then thats wonderful to hear! I know LVMH have wonderful manufacturing resources, so Im glad it held up and you got to engage with the brand multiple times. It shows they really did have plans for the company's loyal customers, really its just a shame it went south

[@yasminebensai7876]

Omg! I’m shocked she had a clothing brand, I never knew about it

[@understitchYT]

Fell before most people knew about it

[@justynea7171]

I think the accessories all fell flat and as someone who worked in Luxury retail, accessories are the ones that help plant the seed with a brand as they are the most accessible, if they had a unique shoe, sunglasses, fashion jewellery and a bag it probably wouldn't have fallen as hard

[@understitchYT]

Thats pretty much how miu miu built their business, those sunglasses took the brand and RAN, fascinating to look at their business in comparison

[@JadeyChi]

I didn't even know that this line existed

[@understitchYT]

What did you think?

[@JadeyChi]

I think they completely screwed the pooch with it so to speak. You're evaluation is correct and it's too bad because they could have done way more with it given what Fenty has done with makeup and lingerie. The fact that I've never even heard of this really underscores that it didn't make it outside of industry people.

[@5555sfr]

you mentioned victoria beckham in the video, would you ever make a video about her brand? (also do you think it can be saved? lol) love your channel

[@understitchYT]

Oh I would LOVE to, I think shes such an interesting business woman, and thank you so much 💕

[@kimberleywatson7330]

The clothes weren't it that's the truth. The stuff she did with Puma wasn't it and the new stuff she doing it ain't it...I think it's too much of her particular style and not mainstream enough🤷🏼‍♀️

[@understitchYT]

The puma creepers were it tho, she slapped with those first shoes