On 21 March, Rihanna announced on Weibo that her Fenty Beauty brand was set to launch in China, via a partnership with Sephora on 1 April. 5 days later, Rihanna appeared on the cover of Vogue Plus, the fashion magazine’s youth-facing edition.
This is the first time, fans of the brand can buy its products from within China, through official channels that is. Sephora pledges to provide a “seamless experience” for both online and offline channels. Fenty Beauty launched its Tmall Global import store in 2019, as part of its first Asian presence. The platform allows Chinese consumers to buy directly from overseas stores, effectively providing a fulfilment service. The brand gained over 50,000 followers on Tmall Global in half a day. Fenty Beauty also debuted on Chinese social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu (RED) at the same time and currently has 57,100 followers on the platform.
For the Vogue Plus cover, Rihanna sported a custom-made embroidered western jacket and cowboy hat by Pharrell Williams, currently men’s creative director of Louis Vuitton. For the cover story, the pop megastar discusses her many identities, singer, entrepreneur and mother, to name a few, as well as her philosophy of life. This may explain the context of her holding a mirror on the cover photo.
Vogue Plus started its life in 2016 as Vogue Me and changed to its current name in 2021. It differs from the main mag as the younger, more street and trend-focused wing of the Condé Nast establishment. Rihanna’s appearance in this magazine is, of course, because her goal is to promote Fenty Beauty, which has a huge following among younger audiences. Fenty Beauty already had a following in China before landing, via active social media and import shop on Tmall. With the established online and offline channels provided by Sephora, Fenty Beauty is set to capture the young consumers of China all over again with the launch. It is also part of a larger expansion strategy in Asia, as the brand recently debuted in India via Nykaa.
