Rihanna: ‘I’m not built like a Victoria’s Secret girl, and I still feel very beautiful’
May 4, 2018
Rihanna covers the June issue of Vogue. They put this issue out earlier than usual because Rihanna is one of the co-chairs for Monday night’s Met Gala, which I really hope will be LIT AF. We need some fun and some fashion. But Rihanna didn’t just get the cover of Vogue to promote the Met Gala – no, she’s also talking about Ocean’s Eight, Fenty Beauty, turning 30 and her new lingerie line, Savage. Honestly, this cover interview was amazing. Rihanna is so quotable and interesting and funny. I love her. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
She’s in a relationship with Hassan Jameel: “I used to feel guilty about taking personal time, but I also think I never met someone who was worth it before…”
Her worries at the age of 30: “OK, so now that I’m 30, are there things I’m supposed to do? Should I be worried? Should I be freezing my eggs? What do you do at 30?!”
Doing a Fenty Beauty line for all skin colors: “As a black woman, I could not live with myself if I didn’t do that. But what I didn’t anticipate was the way people would get emotional about finding their complexion on the shelf, that this would be a groundbreaking moment.”
She’s not here to be fat-shamed or concern-trolled about her weight: “You’ve just got to laugh at yourself, honestly. I mean, I know when I’m having a fat day and when I’ve lost weight. I accept all of the bodies. I’m not built like a Victoria’s Secret girl, and I still feel very beautiful and confident in my lingerie.”
The idea of being a role model: “That title was put on me when I was just finding my way, making mistakes in front of the world. I didn’t think it was fair. Now I understand the concept, but at that time I was the same age as the girls who were looking up to me. And that’s a really hard place to be in as a teenager.”
Her lingerie line, Savage: “Savage is really about taking complete ownership of how you feel and the choices you make. Basically making sure everybody knows the ball is in your court. As women, we’re looked at as the needy ones, the naggy ones, the ones who are going to be heartbroken in a relationship. Savage is just the reverse. And you know, guys don’t like getting the cards flipped on them—ever.”
How Drake made her MTV VMA Video Vanguard all about him: “The VMAs is such a fan-focused awards show, so having that energy around me, and knowing the people who had received the award in the past, made it feel like a big deal… Waiting through that speech was probably the most uncomfortable part. I don’t like too many compliments; I don’t like to be put on blast.” When I ask about the current state of their friendship, her attitude is sanguine. “We don’t have a friendship now, but we’re not enemies either. It is what it is.”
Her biggest girl crush: “Tell me who is a badder bitch than Lisa Vanderpump! She’s goals AF! She’s chic but still funny. She likes to be at home with her husband and then goes and handles her business. Maybe there’s a couple of thousand Birkins in her closet, but she’s still focused. I love that about her.”
If Rihanna can sit there and talk about “not being built like a Victoria’s Secret girl,” what hope is there for the rest of us? Rihanna’s weight fluctuates like most women, but her body is still CRAZY. Like, most women in the world would kill to look Rihanna or have her figure. But I guess the point is that everybody has insecurities, even the badass punk princesses. What else? Love the shade for Drake, love what she says about flipping the narratives on men, love what she says about role modeling. She’s great.
Also, this Vogue video is adorable.
Cover courtesy of Mert & Marcus for Vogue Magazine.
